When the Circus Came to Town
by Mad-TopHat-Ter
Summary: What happens when the peaceful and subdued world of Twilight Town is visited by a renowned traveling circus? AxelRoxas and possible sidepairings but...I'll leave you guessing on those for a while YAOI, M to be safe.
1. Return of the Demons

Greetings all! Tonight I bring to you a new piece of art, straight from my keyboard. The title of this story is not alluding to anything before any literature buffs try to dig too deep into it, it is just as it says. This story is about peaceful little Twilight Town, and what happens when a renowned circus comes to their world. Before you skip along to the story let me warn everyone that **this will be a yaoi**, between Axel and Roxas (a pairing which, up until a few nights ago, I wasn't very in vogue on) and maybe some side pairings depending of how I choose to steer this story. Now for the disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts, kingdom hearts chain of memories, kingdom hearts two, etc. The only things I do own are some of the pieces of clothing that will be mentioned throughout the story, but I'll leave that to your imagination. This story is rated M just to be safe and for later chapters (for events I will not yet mention), but as a warning for all cliché people out there: I am NOT a 'love at first sight' writer so don't expect too much insert your preferred word for love here for a while. Enough of my talking! Get to reading and be sure to leave me a review! I love them oh so much and there is a game of patty cake for every review and reviewie!

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_Merry was the circus that stopped at my door._

_The clowns and magicians and animals all o'er._

**Chapter 1**

It couldn't have been a gloomier day; the sun was out, the air was clean, and the skies were clear. The gorgeous scene out the window tantalized all those who looked out the large window on the right wall of the classroom, teasing them with what they couldn't have for another hour. Twilight Town Inner High, T.H.I.S. as it was also known as, was a large campus private high school. For almost a century now it had been known for its outstanding academics and development of top notch alumni who found prestigious places in society. But now it was finally the last week of school, only 4 more days until all ties to books, teachers, grades, and exams were severed and they were given 90 days of freedom.

'_Freedom,'_ the word repeated itself in the head of one student seated by the window. The blue eyed blond let his eyes trail over to the window, looking outside past the black gates surrounding the school's campus and staring at the train passing by on its way to the station across town.

'_Freedom to express, _

_Freedom to yell and relieve our stress,_

_Some more, others less.'_

The blond repeated his thoughts before jotting out the words on the side of his anatomy notes. His mind reeled with thoughts, tying words together creatively and covering more of his page with the lyrics.

"Roxas."

The call of his name fell upon deaf ears and the blond did not look up from his work. He jumped though when a heavy book was dropped upon his desk, and he quickly looked up. His eyes were met by the sharp gold eyes of his Anatomy professor, Luxord J. Menzel, "Oh, so you are still alive," he said in a very unamused manner. Professor Menzel was a tall and narrow man in his mid 30's with very short blond hair with a matching bit of facial hair around his mouth. He was one of the more unique teachers here at T.H.I.S., with numerous ear piercing, a sharp tongue, and an obsession with dice and card games.

Roxas then looked around and realized somewhere during his thoughts the entire class had left the room, "Where'd everyone go?" he asked, shutting his notebook before Luxord could see what he'd been writing.

Luxord looked at him for a moment before shaking his head with a smirk, "Roxas, Roxas, Roxas. The only student in this entire school who is deaf to the dismissal bell," he said while picking up the book he'd dropped on his desk and heading back for his own desk at the front of the classroom.

Roxas didn't believe him until he pushed up his sleeve and saw the time, and when he did he quickly gathered up his papers and book and began packing them into his bag. "Would it be pointless to ask if you copied the notes I've been writing for the past 30 minutes?" Luxord questioned. Again Roxas looked up, sighing in despair when he saw the three blackboards on the front wall filled with notes and charts. Luxord laughed in his throat and shook his head, "I don't get it. You're my best student despite the walking mess you are."

"Sorry professor, I just got distracted today, that's all," Roxas tried to explain.

"Today? Roxas everyday this year you've stared out that window for the entire hour and somehow you still find a way to make 103 in my class. It was the same last year in Physics too and I'm beginning to think that not learning is the only way you learn," Luxord stated as he turned his back to him and began to erase the wall of chalk.

Roxas thought about that for a moment before shouldering his backpack and heading for the door, "See you tomorrow professor."

"Oh Roxas," Luxord called after him, and when the boy turned and looked back he said, "Say hello to your father for me."

Roxas nodded before opening the door and leaving the classroom. As he made his way towards the stairs he hummed a tune to himself, voicing the lyrics he'd made in his head to see if they fit but his professor's words bothered him. _'Not learning is the only way I learn…'_ he thought slowly. It was true and he knew it. He didn't have to learn because things just came so naturally to him. He knew that but it seemed that his professor was the only other one who knew. His family certainly never noticed.

His family was one very difficult to describe. We'll start with his brother, Sora. Sora was two years older than Roxas and loved by everyone whom met him. Sora was an excellent athlete, valedictorian of his graduating class, funny, sweet, and well on his way to becoming ambassador of this world. That leads to their father, Dimity Eliot, the current ambassador of this world. He was the kind of person who always did what he thought would be for the best, whether or not others agreed. Like Sora he was adored, by everyone of this world though. He was a true symbol of Twilight Town. Roxas' and Sora's mother died from a heart attack barely 2 years ago and her death only left noticeable change of Roxas. It was obvious Sora and his father mourned her death but they had been able to pick up and move on, while Roxas never really got over it. It was after that that he began to just space out and find things coming naturally to him. It wasn't only his mentality that was affected though. After her death Roxas withdrew himself from society, slowly drifting away from his friends and family.

It didn't matter to him though, he only had he only had one more year of school then he was going to leave this world and get as far away as possible. What he was going to do after he got away though, he wasn't sure, but he'd find a way to get by on his own.

"Hey Roxas!" When he heard the voice he sighed and turned around, seeing his older brother Sora coming down the stairs after him, "There you are!"

"Here I am," Roxas replied, watching him sit on the railing and slide down to the landing, _'Show off…'_ Roxas thought though not in the least bit envious of his brother.

"Where've you been? I've been waiting in the parking lot for like 20 minutes already," Sora said as he reached over and straightened his brother's tie. Sora was a Senior and would be graduating in 4 days, but after a threat from one of his teachers about a violation of the uniform policy in the last week of school would get anyone suspended, he was very careful to make sure both he and his brother were up to par.

Roxas pulled his tie away and straightened it himself. He hated the uniforms. The guys had to wear white button up shirts with the school crest embroiled on the left chest, khaki pants with a black tie and black shoes. It was far too formal for his liking but he wasn't about to get suspended for bending the policy, "I had to help professor Menzel after class," he lied before continuing down the stairs.

Sora followed beside him with a bit of a smirk, "I just came from his room Roxas, he said you left after daydreaming for nearly 10 minutes after the bell rang." Roxas didn't answer and Sora sighed and shook his head, "Whatever, just don't get in trouble okay?... oh wait that's right, Roxas never gets in trouble," he said with a bit of a laugh.

It was true. Roxas was the kind of person who always followed the rules and did as he was told, despite what he thought about it. "I'm just teasing you, don't look all sad," Sora told him, reaching over and messing up his hair a little.

Roxas quickly fixed it, "I'm not sad, just ready for this year to be over," he explained.

"Then you should be excited!" Sora exclaimed, hurrying ahead down the rest of the stairs while Roxas walked at his own pace, "Only 4 more days!"

"Yeah, for you Seniors, the rest of us have to come back to this hell in three months," Roxas complained, following after him.

"True, true. Hey listen Roxas I've been thinking and-" but Sora stopped when he heard his name called from further down the hall, spotting a group of his friends who were staying after school to strike the set of their last play, "Hold that thought, I'll see you later at home alright? Tell dad I'll be late," Sora said before hurrying ahead to meet his friends.

Roxas watched him go and disappear around a corner before heading in another direction for the main entrance. With school almost over there were a few people cleaning out their lockers last minute in the halls, but they were too preoccupied with their conversations to take notice of the blond humming out a new tune to his lyrics. There was a train stop right outside the school campus and Roxas made it on just as the train was about to leave. His home was clear on the other side of town and he'd be screwed if he missed the train, as it was a hell of a walk and he wouldn't get home likely until well after dark. The seats were packed so held onto one of the bars from the ceiling and leaned against the side of the train. In three or four stops the majority of the people would be gone and he'd sit but for now this would have to do. Staring absent mindedly out the window for a few minutes he grew quite bored and, unintentionally, found himself listening to the conversations going on around him.

"And so she turned to him and…"

"I can't believe Jessica failed that test! She…"

"He so blew his diet at that…"

"Did you hear how she…"

"What did you…"

Roxas sighed to himself. This was one of the reasons he didn't like this world, the people spoke of meaningless things that held no real value in life. He wanted excitement, life, something he could get into and get lost in. Something this world could never offer.

Bored with his own thoughts on life Roxas faded back into the conversations, of others, "Hey you'll never guess who called me yesterday! Kairi! She says she's coming back!"

"Kairi? No way! Did she run away with that circus that came here?"

Roxas paid a little more attention then, he remembered Kairi. She was a very attractive girl, the daughter of the world's holy man, and she and Sora had been dating for quite some time…at least until she ran away with the circus that came to their town 3 years ago. Sora was the only one she told she was leaving, and he let her go because she said that was the life she wanted. Ofcourse Kairi's parents were outraged and demanded the circus return her to them but apparently the circus had immediately become a far tighter family than her own because they protected her quite well and in jumping worlds Kairi's parents lost track of her.

"Yeah but they're coming here!"

"No way! You think they'd have learned since last time."

That was another good point Roxas remembered. Apparently the church of Twilight Town saw the circus folk as sinners and advised people to stay away. Over the entire month the circus sat out in the countryside only a dozen people visited it, so said Kairi whom had been there everyday unknown to her family, which humorously enough was the head of the Church.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm going! After what Kairi told me about it I'm dying to see! Apparently they're like the biggest thing since God in other worlds."

"Think we'll be able to go though? I mean once Kairi's parents find out they're coming to town they're gonna put out that huge warning about them and nobody will go."

"Apparently some of them were in town today to put up the flyers and Kairi warned me they might try to stir up some attention."

Roxas didn't see the circus the last time it was here, remembering what he'd been told about what kind of people they were. Circus folk were evil, good for nothings who spent their entire lives drinking and making scenes. He dared to fantasize though about the excitement they lived, even if he knew it would never hold a place for him. The way the circus was described was a hell filled with whorish demons who flaunted themselves around carelessly with not the faintest worry. That, he thought, would be a truly exciting life. One he knew would never be his.

The two gossiping girls stood up and got off the train and Roxas sat down in their place, sighing a little to himself and leaning his head against the window. He considered briefly what would happen if he were to meet the circus folk the two had mentioned, but laughed and shook his head, _'They're probably nothing like people say,'_ he thought. A quick glance to his watch assured him there was another 15 or so minutes until his stop and he shut his eyes to rest for a while.

Only four stops later he heard a ruckus and quickly sat up, looking over his shoulder at the door way behind him and watching the passengers boarding, two standing out like a sore thumb though.

The first was a man around 6ft in height with silvery hair that reached his shoulders, and though his body was trim his muscle structure was very well defined. He was wearing a blue and black pair of checkered pants which were bigger than him and had been rolled up to mid-calf, and a tight white t-shirt with a jester's sort of mask painted on in black over the left chest. He had a few bands of blue and white fabric around his wrists, and a tattoo of black thorns that wrapped around his hand and thumb before winding their way around his wrist.

The man with him was a few inches taller with fiery red hair that came out from his head in all directions. He was wearing a gray undershirt with a white bit of a design on the right shoulder, and dark blue jeans which had been cut in and the holes patched over with various bits of fabric. There were two little black triangles under his eyes and a band of leather loosely tied around his neck and two more on his right wrist.

Apparently Roxas wasn't the only one staring at them because the two stopped at the head of the isle and looked over the train then at each other, apparently completely unaware of the problem. The problem was that nobody in this world was as flamboyant, and it was obvious they weren't from here. _'Are these the people Kairi was talking about?'_ Roxas asked himself, unable to stop staring even after everyone else returned to their own conversations, trying to ignore them.

As the train moved forward the two in question made their way down the isle towards the two empty seats at the end. "What's eating them?" the red head asked, scoffing a little and flopping back in the corner.

The other boy remained standing and leaned against the railing, "You remember the last time we were here. Guess things haven't changed."

The redhead looked up at him and Roxas noticed the smirk spreading across his lips as he said, "Yeah maybe, but if we got the attention let's have fun."

The other boy shared the look and then glanced down the isle at the passengers that were still eying them warily, "But ofcourse." Delighted with the agreeance the redhead stood up as the other made his way down the isle. With no regards whatsoever for personal bubbles he approached the people on the train, "We know what you're thinking," he said, leaning in towards an older woman with her daughter in her lap.

"Circus demons! AH!" cried the red head over dramatically as he threw his hand to his head in a mock damsel in distress.

"We're not demons though, we're entertainers," continued the silver haired man and he patted the little girl on the head before standing back up and turning to a group of girls Roxas recognized as three sophomores from his school, whom had been staring dreamily at him, "That's why we exist, to entertain and amaze all audiences. The young and old, the dumb the smart, the ugly the _beautiful_," he flirted, seating himself between the girls whom giggled at his implication, blushing and listening on despite their unusual appearances.

"Magicians, acrobats, singers, dancers!" exclaimed the red head, enticing in the crowd on the opposite side of the train, "How does that make us demons?"

"I'll tell you how," chimed in the other male, standing back up and turning to pull one of the girls to their feet, "We live the lives others aren't daring enough to live," he said while spinning the girl on one hand before dipping her low but swiftly, "Live to dazzle, express, and create fantasies for any audience," he furthered before pulling the girl back up and letting go of her.

"So we got some bad press last time we were here, we're forgiving though, so we'll give you guys another shot," taunted the redhead, running down the isle and leaping onto a pole before spinning down it and standing back up, "Spread the word! We're here to give you lot a show you'll never forget, not steel your souls and puppies!"

"What say? Have any takers?" asked the silver haired male, looking around for another target. Apparently they'd fascinated the passengers because there was a murmur among them and a few nods and replies. Roxas, whom had been staring at them since they'd boarded the train, quickly cut his eyes to the window when the red head looked down at him, "What say kid?" he asked, ruffling his blond hair up a bit with his hand.

Roxas said nothing at first, unsure of what to make of them. Finally he shrugged his shoulders, not sure how they'd react to a 'yes' or a 'no.' However when he did that the redhead grinned a little, "Uh oh. Hey Riku, we've got a dud."

The silver haired male looked over to him from the girls he'd been enticing again and had the same grin, "Really. Well what should we do about that?"

"Why wont you come?" asked the redhead, getting down and sitting on his heels so he was about eye level with him. Roxas didn't answer and the redhead flicked him on the nose, "Pay attention," when he had Roxas' focus he grinned and snapped his fingers only an inch from his nose, a small flame appearing above his fingertip. Roxas wasn't the only one who had seen it but his eyes grew the widest, completely entranced by the flame. Magic was completely unheard of in this world, and his father had told him it wasn't used the other worlds either except by a handful of people whom could manipulate an element.

"See that kid? You come to the show this Friday at 8 o'clock and there'll be a lot more," he said before the flame vanished in a puff of smoke. Roxas stared at where it had been then to the redhead, not sure what he was supposed to say.

"Don't hog the spotlight Axel," Riku said as he made his way over to him, "The rest of us are just as captivating."

"He's right yah know. It'll be a night you won't forget," Axel informed just as the train slowed to a stop.

"Thank you everyone, you've been a great audience, but this is our stop. Many more people to enchant this evening," Riku said as he back out the door in a bow. Axel stood up and followed suit, "Friday at 8! Just out in the countryside," he said bowing as well just before the door closed.

Once they were gone and the train was leaving everyone turned to their company and gossiped franticly about what just happened. Nobody could believe what had come to their world and most of them were delighted to go to the show at the end of the week. Roxas watched them waving after the train until it was gone from sight and he looked ahead of the other window, _'Those people…imagine a whole circus of them…'_ Roxas had decided. This was something he had to see.

Come nightfall everyone in Twilight Town had learned of the circus, either by reading the harlequin-like posters, hearing the gossip, or being ambushed by the two that had been in town. Oh how they had made a name for themselves that night.

"Did you see the look on that minister's face?" snorted Axel as they headed back out of town. They'd caught a crowd of people leaving church only moments ago and worked a few tricks into a street show. Much to their delight nobody seemed too heavily bothered by their act until the minister came out.

"I honestly can't see how he's related to Kairi," Riku said, though he had enjoyed watching everyone's mood go from delighted to solemn in a total of 2.3 seconds.

"Yah, but you think they'll come? The pompous prick is bound to make a big insulting speech about us tomorrow," Axel pointed out.

Riku shrugged, "I don't know. Everyone listened to him last time we were here and we just sat out on that hill for a month. Maybe since we came into town this time and showed off our colors they'll consider it."

Axel grumbled a little and crossed his arms, "What's with these morons, nobody in any of the other worlds ever have a problem with us."

Riku shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and drawing one out, "Just think of this as a vacation then. If nobody comes we don't have to do anything," his reasoning seemed good enough for him and he held his cigarette over to Axel.

Axel tapped the end of the cigarette and it lit, then he took another for himself and lit it before incinerating the empty package. He took a drag of the light and exhaled slowly, not at all content with Riku's reasoning, "It just makes me sick."

"Incredible. You can drink 3 gallons of beer a night and be just fine, but one measly little world doesn't like you and you get sick," Riku laughed and shook his head in disbelief. At the age of 13 when most boys dreamed about running away with the circus, Riku skipped the dreaming and ran away with them. He was only 19 years old and had been a high skilled acrobat and escape artist up until two years ago when the original ringmaster passed away and by a unanimous vote he was put in charge.

Axel was 22 and had been with the circus for nearly 7 years now. He'd been a troublesome misfit and when he saw the circus he dropped out of high school before the end of his Sophomore year and joined up with them, always glad to show off his pyrotechnics. The two had grown up together and were practically inseparable, "Yah, but beer is good," Axel responded with a grin.

After a few more minutes of walking Riku turned down a side street, but Axel didn't follow, "Yo, home is that way," he said, pointing down the street they'd been on.

"You go ahead, I have a stop to make first," Riku told him, finishing his cigarette before flicking it into the gutter. Axel watched him go and for a moment considered following him then he remembered something, this was Riku. He was probably just going off to find someone to entertain or a girl. That was his life: entertaining, women, and daydreaming.

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So not much dramatic action here, but the next chapter will hold A LOT more. How do I know this? SIMPLE! Because I have it sketched out in bits and pieces all through my notebooks. Don't expect an update for a week or so though, as I am moving this weekend and it is an awfully long drive from east to west coast, and then there is the issue of getting the internet set up and truck unpacked…not in that order ofcourse, as that would be very difficult. But when I get my life in order again I'll post the next chapter, promise! Please have patience though and I promise to make it worth your time! Until then I ask everyone who reads to PLEASE review! I promise a game of patty cake for everyone who does!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	2. The First Encounter

Many many MANY apologies for not updating in so long, but trust me, it you knew the messy chaos I've been through over the month you wouldn't have time to write a new chappie either. Fortunately though life is settling down and tonight (after trick-or-treating…you're never too old!) I finally found some free time to sit down at the computer. I won't bore or traumatize you with my life story though, so onwards to the chappie! Rightio, this chapter is a lot of talking but has a few crucial bits. Face it, all stories need at least one talking chapter to make a sensible story. Now for the disclaimer: **I do not own kingdom hearts, kingdom hearts chain of memories, kingdom hearts two, etc. The only things I do own are some of the pieces of clothing that will be mentioned throughout the story, but I'll leave that to your imagination.** Thought I should bold that just to avoid any risks…ENJOY!

PS: The song 'La Vie Boheme' in this chapter is from the musical/movie RENT, **I DO NOT OWN THAT EITHER!**

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**Chapter 2**

Roxas couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that here he was, sitting in his room on a Friday night. School was officially over and his classmates were out celebrating with each other, reveling in their happiness. The clock on the wall mocked him, reading 8:01 PM and some odd seconds. It was 8:01, and that meant the show had just begun.

"…I didn't want to go to some dumb circus anyway," Roxas told himself with a slight huff as lied back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling distantly. He was lying to himself though.

Like everyone expected, Kairi's father heard about the circus and declared them as a 'sinful horde of monsters,' and warned everyone to stay away. From what he'd heard around school over the past few days, he was quite sure much of the youth had been forbidden to go but he imagined they'd all snuck away to catch the show. He however…he'd been forbidden and was now obeying his father's command quietly.

As much as he wanted to go, just to taste a bit of the excitement he could never live, he was too afraid to disobey an order. He imagined it though. He imagined jumping out the window to the ground two stories below, hopping a train to the countryside and never looking back. Gods how he wanted to…and as he looked around the large room, noticing he was alone, the desire became greater.

'…_If I just lock my door and get back before anyone comes to check on me…'_ he pondered, sitting up anxiously and looking at the door as if he were afraid it would be opened and his plan ruined. If he was lucky nobody would consider checking in on him until tomorrow afternoon, after all they didn't have school anymore so he would be sleeping in anyway.

And with that he'd decided, quickly getting up and hurrying over to the door, locking it quietly and listening for a moment just to make sure nobody was in the hall. Once comfortable he changed into straight leg blue jeans, a black cap sleeved t-shirt, and grabbed a white jacket whose sleeves reached his elbows and were lined with a black and white checkerboard pattern. He wasn't about to go to something like this in his school uniform, in fact he planned to lock it away in the bottom of his closet now that school was over.

Taking a deep breath he looked himself over in the mirror, somewhat worried about his decision now. Now since his father was the ambassador of this world, he and his family were one of the wealthiest and most prestigious in this world. No expense was spared in restoring their manor, the old grimly looking manor just beyond the woods had been restored to its full glory both interior and exterior, making it the envy of everyone in Twilight Town. Now since he'd been given every material object he'd wanted since the day he was born, Roxas was always fascinated by others lifestyles, almost to the point of seeming sympathetic. The people of the circus had easily the most fascinating lifestyle he'd heard of yet though. Spending your life traveling from world to world, entertaining and having fun unmatched.

'_I've got to see it,'_ he thought, washing away last minute hesitations and heading for his window. The ground was a good three stories down though and upon seeing that he felt a horrible fear in his gut. Was he seriously going to try this? With a tree branch just outside his window it was easy to get out but climbing down branch by branch would prove quite difficult. He took a moment then gathered his courage and climbed onto the windowsill.

"I can't believe this," sighed a short haired blonde female, leaning forward and staring into the bonfire.

"Seriously. I don't think I've ever been so insulted," agreed a second girl, this one with longer, berry colored hair.

"It was your idea to come here in the first place Kairi," Axel said as he paced an invisible line in frustration. The show was supposed to start at 8, and as an unwritten rule people were always supposed to arrive 30 or so minutes early. And yet here they were, an hour passed and nobody had arrived, not a single person.

"Well yeah but I thought maybe by now they would have changed…" Kairi trailed off. She was the daughter of the head of the church, whom had run away with the circus 3 years ago. In all honesty she was happier here with her new family than she ever would have been if she'd stayed in this world. Over the years she'd matured nicely and adopted the enthralling life of the circus open heartedly.

"Axel, stop picking on girls," Riku told him. It was always easy to tell what kind of mood Riku was in if you knew him well enough. Ignoring an unlit cigarette though tapping the end in an almost rhythm like manner, eyes locked onto one target, the bonfire, rather than following the voice of conversation, sitting a top a crate with his legs crossed Indian style and slouched against a higher stack of crates; he was highly peeved and looked like he had more to say.

"Thought you didn't care if people came," Axel mocked, he too was put off though showed it far more vividly.

"Why don't they like us?" asked a blonde male in a half sigh half whine. Demyx. He was another runaway, but unlike the others he'd come from a normal lifestyle. A peaceable family with wholesome values and well off financially. So why'd he give it up? Well in all honesty he'd stumbled upon them by accident one night after a show and found them far more alluring than what he had. He'd been with them for 5 years now at the age of 22 though he always seemed far more childish than his age. Their late ringmaster allowed him to tag along because, despite his clumsiness at times, he was very graceful when he got into character and his poise and accuracy earned him a place with Larxene. Also he was the one responsible for all music, as he had been well trained in that art and had a keen ear for unique yet fitting tunes.

"Who cares? They're loss!" scoffed another male. Xigbar, a renowned marksman. He was always one of the audience favorites, simply because he involved them in his talent. At random he would pick someone to raise something, be it a soda can or a quarter, and he would be able to pierce through it without even grazing the holder. Other than that he was incorporated in the trapeze act, firing shots in some parts and making it far more necessary for Larxene and Demyx to be precise in their movements. He actually shot Demyx in the ass one time, unintentionally ofcourse, though he laughed hysterically about it afterwards. Xigbar was difficult to describe. He was the largest in build and strength, and the oldest at the age of 45, but despite his age he was easily able to keep up with the hasty pace of circus life. His humor, though sometimes cruel, was always meant in play.

"Here, Here!" cheered Larxene, punching her fist into the air. For a woman of 24 she was easily the most childish and bratty of them all, and bragged about it proudly. In fact the only one she didn't whine to was her partner on the trapeze, Demyx, and that was simply because his feelings were hurt too easily. Her excuse for joining the circus, 4 years ago, was because she was bored and drunk but after sobering up she figured she'd tag along, "I say we break out a keg and forget all about them!"

"That's your solution to everything," Riku pointed out, not interested though as he was still quietly seething.

"Tish, tosh, if you're gonna act like that then you should go to be like Marluxia, Vexen and the fat head," Larxene scorned, the last one referring to Lexeaus. Marluxia was too self absorbed to bother himself with their little bonfire, Vexen was just reading in his room as always when there was nothing better to do, and Lexeaus the gorilla just slept all the time.

"Axel, go get a keg," Riku said, not about to be compared to them.

"That'a boy!" Larxene said in delight, watching him get up and walk over to the bonfire.

He stood up and held his cigarette out to graze the bonfire and light the tip, bringing it to his lips with a mild smirk, "Xibar's right. If they don't want to come then so be it. We've got hundreds of other worlds at our feet."

Kairi smiled and mocked groveling at his feet, "Oh great circus gods, we're not worthy!" she laughed, having no qualm in mocking her world.

"Damn right you aren't. Miserable misguided Twilight Town," he chuckled, patting her on the head and pacing around to the other side of the bonfire, humming a tune as he thought it up. Demyx heard him and accordingly reached a hand over to a crate and drummed it out as he heard, adding more much to Riku's delight and Xigbar rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh, "Here we go." Hearing his words Riku grinned and went around to him, beginning his lyrical improv.

"You make fun, yet I'm the one

Attempting to do some good,

We're in a neighborhood

Where people piss on our names every night

Circus clowns,

Lions and trapeze,

Not a fantasy in their head…"

Riku raised a hand and Demyx stopped, "This is Twilight Town, the circus is dead," he said, bowing his head in mock sympathy. Kairi, Demyx, and Larxane laughed a bit and shook their heads. It was quite obvious Riku was on a tangent now and it would be pointless to try and stop him. It was true and Riku took off his hat putting it over his chest in mock funeral mode, accordingly Demyx hummed out a gloomy almost organ-like accompaniment.

"Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes…

Here she lies! No one knew her worth,

The late great daughter of mother earth,

On these nights when we celebrate the birth…

In that little town of Bethlehem, we raise our glass

You bet your ass

To…La Vie… Boheme…"

Joining in his bit of fun Kairi echoed with, "La Vie Boheme." Demxy dropped his grim hum and drummed his fingers on the crate again in a more up tempo beat, and on each eighth beat Kairi would echo with 'La Vie Boheme,' and Larxane, Demyx, and even Xigbar joined in the lyrical improv. Riku however still had front stage and continued, following the quicker tempo with a more spoken than sung vocal as he circle among the circies.

"To days of inspiration,

playing hooky, makin somethin outta nothin,

The need to express to communicate,

To going against the grain,

Going insane, going mad,

To loving tension, no pension,

To more than one dimension,

To starving for attention,

Hating convention, hating pretension,

Not to mention ofcourse,

Hating dear ol' mom and dad"

By then Axel had returned with a box of bottles and heard what was going on, another one of Riku's lyrical improvs, all of which he enjoyed and picked up the next part with delight, "To riding your bike, midday past the three-piece-suits!"

"To fruits," Riku played along easily.

"To no absolutes," Axel shouted with laughter, circling the fire opposite of Riku.

"To absolutes!"

"To choice!"

"To the Village Voice!"

"To any passing fad!"

Demyx threw in his own twist by shorting the beat and leaning into Larxane with a chorus like note, which Larxane joined in on in harmony and Riku played off by jumping onto the crate behind Xigbar, leaning over his shoulders with a grin and singing, "To being an us for once…instead of a them!"

There were cheers of agreeance and shouts of 'La Vie Boheme,' even from Xigbar himself as the song concluded and Riku took a bow. While he may not have been an trapeze artist, marksman, magician, or other sort, it was his job as ringmaster to draw in the audience and ease them into the acts with as much entertainment as possible. Though he'd never taken lessons vocals were his strength, and that combined with natural creativity and boldness made lyrical works of wonder to entice any audience.

"Hey, looks like you got us an audience kid," Xigbar noted, tapping Riku on the shoulder and nodding his head to a gap between two of the big tents nearby. Riku looked, over, bringing the cigarette to his lips and eyeing their guest, "Oh? A rebel probably."

"Don't hide, come on over!" Demyx invited, waving his arms wildly with delight at the thought of an audience. The others chorused an echo of similar shouts to their guest in hiding.

Roxas stood still for a moment, nervous now that he'd been discovered and alone none the less. If the rumors about circus folk were true he knew this would be a bad situation but after what he'd just seen and the fact he couldn't very well get away now that he'd been spotted he swallowed his nerves and came over to join them in the clearing created by the tents, bonfire, and crates.

"Hey I remember you," Axel spoke up first when he got a good look at Roxas.

"The kid from the train the other day," Riku also remembered and he sat down on one of the crates leaning against Xigbar to further annoy him. Xigbar however moved so Riku fell backwards and landed on the ground, his feet still propped up on the crate. He didn't get up though, finding this quite comfortable instead and Kairi rolled her eyes a little before toying with his hair.

Roxas found their behavior unique in a new way but tried not to show it, "Your show was—" but he didn't get to finish.

"Show?" Demyx asked, "What show?"

"What you guys just did," Roxas said, wondering if he'd offended them.

"Improv. It's all about thinking on your feet," Riku told him, "There was no show and there won't be one."

Roxas was clearly confused but Axel sat down at his feet and explained, "Nobody came kid."

"What?" Roxas couldn't believe it.

"Nobody came. Zip. Nil. Nada," Axel emphasized, "Our trip here was in waste."

Roxas actually felt sorry for them, even though none of them seemed phased by the loss, "Well…the church put out a big warning about you guys a few days ago, but a bunch of people said they were still coming."

Axel and a few other laughed, "Forget it. What people say and do are two different things."

"I still don't like your parents Kairi," Riku mumbled, flicking his cigarette into the fire.

Roxas didn't know what it was about those two but he got the feeling there was something between them. Then again personal bubbles didn't seem to exist in this circle, Axel's slouching against him verified that. "They actually convinced people that green Jell-O was unhealthy."

"Figures. Speaking of Jell-O how's Sora?" Kairi asked.

Before Roxas could answer Larxane asked, "How do you get your ex out of the topic of Jell-O?"

"It's a long story," Kairi said with a small smile.

"He's okay. Arrogant as ever and heading to college next year," Roxas explained.

"Enough chit-chat. Why'd you come if they told you not to?" Axel questioned, resting his chin on Roxas' head comfortably.

"Atheist?" Xigbar suggested.

"No I…" Roxas thought about it, though the answer was unsure even to him, "I guess I just wanted to see what everyone was so afraid of."

"Yay! Another Rebel!" Demyx cheered with glee.

"Unlikely. I remember this quiet little guy," Kairi teased with a grin.

Riku laughed a little to himself, "Ironic that he's the only one to show up," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another cigarette. He noticed Roxas watching him and quirked an eyebrow, "What?"

"Smoking is a bad habit you know," Roxas pointed out.

"True if you're smoking real cigarettes. No bad stuff in these, just peppermint," Riku told him, breaking the cigarette and tossing it to Roxas, "They're good for the throat." Roxas picked it up and saw that sure enough there were peppermint leaves inside and imagined this was something he'd gotten in another town; after all nothing like that was heard of here. Riku, whom had seemed reluctant about their guest until now, posed the next question, "What's your name kid?"

"I'm Roxas," he answered, feeling very much out of place even if they all seemed at ease with his being there.

"Roxas? What kind of name is that?" Axel's question only made him feel more out of place.

"I remember! It's Sora rearranged and with an X," Kairi told them.

"Weird…" Larxane spoke for all of them.

"…I don't like it. My dad chose it because he wanted me to be like my brother," Roxas told them with embarrassment.

"That sucks! What kind of jerk…" Axel spat, sitting up and looking at him, he seemed to think for a moment then nodded, "Tell you what, from now on you're Roxy."

Roxas seemed to be the only one confused, "Huh?"

"You're Roxy! It's unique and completely yours," Axel explained patting him on the head with a content grin.

"Um…Thanks…I think," Roxas said, looking to the rest of the group for advice.

Riku spoke up with a sigh, "Okay Axel, stop frightening our quest."

Roxas however didn't want him to be offended, "No it's okay! I like Roxy!" he quickly said.

Xigbar scoffed, voicing what every one of them was thinking, "Heh. Chill kiddo, we won't eat you if you loosen up."

Roxas embarrassedly cut his eyes to the ground and Axel shot Xigbar a chiding look before patting Roxas on the head. He tried to make amends for the comment by asking, "So you say you came to see what everyone was afraid of? Think they have any reason to be afraid?"

Roxas quickly looked back up, "Definitely not! I don't see why anyone would be afraid of you."

Riku laughed and sat up straight, "I'll tell you why: It's because we're different and people are afraid of what's different. Problem here is that people aren't willing to take a chance and see what we can do."

Larxane sighed and hugged her knees to her chest, "It's a shame too, we're so popular everywhere else."

Roxas again found himself confused, "Everywhere else?"

"Other worlds Roxy. You don't think we stay here do you?" Axel laughed at the thought of hiding in a cave for 11 months until the one they came out to put on a show.

"Yup, it's nice being famous…until we get here," Xigbar said, with a note of annoyance.

"Ofcourse Kairi running off with us didn't help our reputation one bit," Riku chastised.

"It's not entirely my fault and you know that Riku," she replied with a hint of vehemence in her tone.

Again Roxas sensed something between them, though a strong contrast to what he'd thought earlier. Axel however quickly covered it up before it could develop into an obvious argument, "Changing topic!"

"Good idea," Riku said shortly, pulling out a cigarette. Axel reached over and tapped the tip to light it for him after seeing the bonfire was too live now to light it easily.

Roxas was impressed by the magic and his eyes followed Axel's hand then looked up to him in minor shock. Axel grinned a little, glad to see he'd impressed at least one person in this world. Roxas decided he'd help the transition off the topic of obvious tension, "I wish I could help you guys. It's not fair everyone has to fear you just because they're told lies."

"Sorry Roxy, but doesn't the church hold highest say here?" Demyx pointed out.

"Yup. Screwy isn't it…you know in some worlds they worship Hades," said Kairi.

"That's the way life is. People obey who they have to," Xigbar sighed, "Makes me glad we don't have to answer to anyone."

Roxas thought for a moment then spoke up, "I might be able to help."

"How so?" Axel asked curiously.

"Well…you see my dad is the ambassador of this world and—" but he didn't finish, the jumpy reactions of everyone else enough to make him stop, "…What?"

Axel explained for them, laughing nervously a little, "…Listen Roxy, your dad was the only person to ever deny us entry. See in order to come to a world we need permission from the ambassador and he refused to give it."

Roxas was confused again, "Wait, so how are you here?"

Riku finally joined back into the conversation, his edge seeming to be gone, "Well the first time we got in because we lied."

"This time I used my parent's bank account to pay a hacker to clear us," Kairi then explained.

"So as you can see Roxy, your dad won't be too terribly thrilled to see us," Axel summarized, "Actually I'm surprised he hasn't called the cops on us."

"He did actually," Roxas admitted, "They wouldn't do anything though. Too afraid after what they heard about you guys." They all couldn't help some laughs upon hearing that, even Roxas joined in.

When it died down he felt rather confident in himself as he said, "If you want I could see if I could set up a meeting for you. You know, so you could propose what you were all about and see if he'll give you some pro-publicity."

"I don't know about this…" Demyx said hesitantly.

Larxane however seemed hot on the thought, "Hell if it'll get us an audience it's worth a shot!"

"Hell yeah!" Xigbar even seemed keen on the idea.

Riku, after hearing what they had to say looked back to Roxas, "Think you can swing it Roxy?"

Roxas nodded, "I can try."

"Wrong answer," Riku said with a bit of a grin.

"You're supposed to say 'absotivly posolutly,'" Axel told him.

Roxas was yet again confused and Demyx explained, "Absotivly posolutly. See we aren't perfect so we can't give perfect answers."

"But I'm not—"

Axel stopped him though, "Circo or not, nobody is perfect."

Roxas looked up at him considering what he'd said for a moment before grinning and saying, "Absotivly posolutly."

Delighted with the answer Axel patted him on the head, "'Atta boy!"

* * *

Whew! My fingers are tired after typing this and my belly hurts from eating too much Halloween candy and peppermint tea(my addiction) so I am going to bed now. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed traipsing around school dressed as a pirate today . Please review! They truly help motivate me and I love hearing what people think of my work. There will be presents for reviewers! waves around bowl of cruton eating goldfish

Your loving bohemian(though today a pirate), Mad-TopHat-Ter


	3. Looking Up

**(UPDATE 10/4/06: Thank you everyone who caught my quirky sentences! I had no idea some changes ran together, then again I was half asleep when I finally found time to type and tweak this chapter XD I've reread this chapter carefully and fixed it up! Thank you again for catching those and I'll be more careful next time!)**

Goodness I am so happy! When I first pondered up this story up a month or so ago in government class I wasn't sure if anyone would like it, nor was I sure of what the teacher was ranting on about (I suppose I should thank him for causing my mind to wander). But after hearing what readers were saying I am simply ecstatic! It is thanks to your comments that this chapter came together so quickly! I do hope you enjoy this one, it has some number of things going on but everything ties together.

There were some questions about side pairings with the last chapter and I thought I'd address them here. Now obviously the main pairing will be between Axel and Roxas, but do not assume that all pairings are and/or will be yaoi, however it is possible. Other than being an anti-'love at first sight' writer, I also am anti-spoiler, and so there will be no avowal of side pairings. Eventually truths will come out and until then you are more than welcome to fantasize about whichever ones you please and ponder how it will affect the story, but I will neither confirm nor deny any just yet…though one that occurred in the past is mentioned in this chapter.

Now, without further ado, I present to you chapter 3. Please enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It wasn't until early, around 2, the following morning that Roxas finally was on his way home; though he would have loved to stay. The circies had taken a liking to him rather quickly and easily made him comfortable enough to open up.

The walk back into Twilight Town was far more difficult than getting out though; especially when a certain red headed pyrotechnic tags along to make sure he doesn't get caught. Why did that make things difficult? Well, because Axel was more interested in fooling around town than getting Roxas home right away. Roxas played along, at least until Axel proposed toilet papering the monastery. Finally they made it across town though and through the countryside to the old manor.

"…Damn Roxy! Living large!" Axel said, staring up at it impressed, "Your family trying to compensate for something?"

Embarrassed, Roxas just laughed a little and headed for the front door. Axel however snapped back to reality and chased after him, "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?" he asked, running in front of him and blocking the door.

"Going inside," Roxas answered, thinking that was quite obvious.

Axel shook his head and grinned, "Aw think Roxy. If you just waltz through the front door your pops might catch you!" he had a valid point and took Roxas' arm and hurried over to the side of the house, "C'mon!"

Roxas really didn't have a choice as he was pulled around to the back of his house, "What are you doing?"

"Which room is yours?" Axel merely answered with another question as he stared up to the third story.

Roxas pointed to one of the windows adjoined with his room but was still confused, "Axel what are you—" but he stopped when Axel let go of him and started climbing up the tree, and making it look very easy too, "We can climb up this. C'mon Roxy it'll be fun. Think of it as storming the castle!" Axel made it halfway up before looking back and seeing that Roxas was still on the ground trying to figure out how to get up, "Not very athletic are you Roxy? I thought all middle-schoolers had to take gym."

"I'm 17!" Roxas replied firmly, offended by his comment.

"High school huh? Horrible place…" he said, grinning a little at how quickly and easily he'd flustered him, "Alright, leave everything to me," he said before continuing up the tree and disappearing through the window to Roxas' room.

Roxas waited on the ground patiently for a few minutes until Axel returned to the window and tossed something out to him. It was his bed sheet, tied to the bedcover, tied to a blanket, tied to three curtains, "Kinda story-book cliché but it works," Axel said, seeming pleased with his work. Roxas however was now worried about the condition of his room, "Maybe I should just go through the front door instead…" not liking the idea of being pulled up three stories.

"Trust me Roxy, just tie the end around you and I'll pull," Axel insisted.

"But…" Roxas was highly worried about the fall if something went wrong.

Axel caught onto this and flashed him a thumbs up, "Don't worry. I won't let you fall Roxy." He sounded confident and Roxas decided to take a chance and trust him, after all he didn't want to appear a scardey-cat. So with a bit of hesitation he took hold of the end of the makeshift rope and tied it around his waist then held on as Axel took hold of the other end and pulled him up. For the entire trip Roxas kept his eyes closed, afraid to look down and jinx things.

Just when he was sure he was almost there though he felt the knot he'd tied around him slip and he quickly looked up. His expression said it all and Axel quickly realized what was happening and leaned out the window further, grabbing onto a lower portion of the rope and pulling up quite a bit more and with a noticeable sense of urgency.

Roxas was just about to the window when the knot gave out and he slid down, stopping himself quickly though by grabbing onto the rope. Axel pulled but when Roxas had let go the rope slid and got caught on the architecture of the window ledge. He swore and leaned further out the window, holding his hand out just about even with Roxas', "Grab on."

Unfortunately Roxas was far too scared to let go of the rope, and with noticeable lack of upper body strength he couldn't hold on too long. "Roxy you've got to take my hand," Axel said sharply, well aware of the seriousness of the situation and casting aside his usual demeanor, "Roxy!"

Roxas heard him but felt his grip slip and finally give out. He shut his eyes tightly but he didn't fall for more than a second before he felt himself jerked to a stop, looking up only to see Axel had slid down the rope and caught him by the wrist, "You alright Roxy?" he asked casually.

Unable to answer Roxas merely nodded. When he got an answer, even if it was non-verbal, Axel pulled him up and told Roxas to get on his back after assuring him he could take him up the rest of the way. Roxas did as he was told and held onto him as Axel climbed back up to the window easily supporting his weight. "Off you go," Axel told him when they reached the window, as it would be very difficult for two to fit through at once. So, Roxas climbed over him and inside and flopped back onto his mattress immediately. It was obvious he was glad to be on solid ground.

"See, told you I wouldn't let you fall," Axel said, grinning a little though rattled by what happened as well. He climbed through the window and sat on the sill, leaning back against the frame, "You weren't scared were you?"

Roxas sat up and looked at him in disbelief, he couldn't be serious? Ofcourse he was! Heights were a big no-no in Roxas' book and almost falling to his death, or at least severe pain, was anything but calming, "Ofcourse not," he lied. Apparently it showed because Axel laughed and shook his head.

He was making himself comfortable and Roxas didn't want him to think he was obliged to stay and make sure he was okay, "You don't have to stay."

"Got nothing else to do, may as well keep you company for a while," Axel said with a shrug, "Besides if I go back there I might get caught up in one of their arguments."

"Who's?" Roxas asked, wondering what tensions there were among the very close group of circies.

"Riku and Kairi. The girl's a two-faced nuisance," Axel hissed, dislike for her showing.

"Kairi? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" Roxas asked, recalling what he knew about her; good natured and sensitive.

"Forget what you know about her kid. Did your brother tell you why she left?" Axel asked, assuming he didn't know the full story.

"He told me she said it was the life she wanted," Roxas said, though he always assumed there was more to the story.

Axel laughed and shook his head, "Pure B.S…Alright you can't bring up what I'm gonna tell you, 'cause if you brother lied he probably would be pissed if you knew the truth." When Roxas nodded Axel sat up and explained, "We came here a few years back and only a few people showed up during the month. Little Kairi introduced herself as a high school freshman, single, and fascinated by circus life. Enter Romeo, recently upped to ringmaster and with an ego unmatchable."

Roxas waited for more but Axel seemed to be thinking about it, "Hm…well I'll let your mind piece together what happened over the next few weeks. Come the end of the month we're all packed up and ready to go when she comes back and says she wants to come to."

"But she was the minister's daughter didn't that seem like a bad idea?" Roxas pointed out, hoping they had the common sense to take that into consideration.

"Not to us. She never mentioned her home life, other than that it was dull and held no future for her. So since none of us saw any reason to turn her away we let her tag along. For the next week or so of travel everything was fine, and Riku was happier than I'd ever seen him. And then came the letter…" Axel trailed off, sighing heavily as he replayed the memory.

"Letter?" Roxas was on pins and needles now and hoped he wouldn't stop now.

"Apparently before little Kairi came to us that last afternoon she'd written a letter to her parents saying her dreams had been haunted by 'circus demons' and she couldn't fight our 'sinful temptations' any longer and she fled with us against her holiest will. The ambassador of the world we were in hand delivered the letter from the Twilight Town law enforcement which had been approved by the ambassador, your pop. It demanded the return of Kairi and apprehension of the 'circus demons' responsible for her corruption," Axel explained, his tone expressed his clear dislike of the girl even more now, "First time I ever saw Riku fight with a girl…"

"Then what happened?" Roxas asked, in disbelief that all of this happened unknown to him.

"Well we couldn't very well take her back. None of us wanted to go to jail. She told us she lied because she didn't want us, or her family, to think ill of her. That was that. Most of us got over it since we all had done similar things at some point in life, but Riku stopped speaking to her and returned to his old ways and the guy obviously isn't ever going to forgive her; after all she played him as a fool. Personally I haven't forgiven her either," Axel concluded.

Roxas sat back and replayed what he had been told, intrigued by the story, "Unbelievable…guess we all have dirty little secrets," he honestly felt bad for both his brother and Riku. They'd both been cheated on, by the same girl, and at the same time. They both had every right to not forgive her and he couldn't believe Kairi had done something so low.

"Some more than others unfortunately…what about you Roxy, got any skeletons in your closet?" Axel asked curiously.

"No, just a color coordinated wardrobe and argyle sock," he confessed.

Axel laughed quite a lot, "You made a funny Roxy! Bravo!" he said with complimentary applause. When it died down he slouched back against the window frame, one leg hanging out the window, the other inside the room.

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" Roxas asked, imagining his posture would feel quite awkward.

"Not at all. Trust me, it's not easy for me to get uncomfortable," Axel said, "I think it's a good thing to be comfortable in any situation."

"Because you're a circie?" Roxas asked, hoping the question wasn't too bold.

Axel didn't seem to mind though, "Well I'd be lying if I said that didn't affect my life."

Roxas was now curious about him, "What were you like before you joined the circus Axel?"

There wasn't an immediate answer but Axel did laugh a little, "…Don't worry about that. It's all in the past right?"

Roxas nodded but wondered why Axel didn't want to talk about it. He did have something else on his mind now though, "…Hey Axel…Do you think I could ever be a circie?"

Much to his surprise Axel shrugged as if the question weren't that big of a deal, "I don't see why not, there's really no criteria."

"Serious?!" Roxas seemed excited now at the thought.

Axel however didn't share in his excitement, "Well Roxy I don't know why you'd want to be. You're luckier than any of us."

"Yeah right," Roxas huffed. His life was a mess and he would be glad to trade it in for the colorful glam of the circus life.

"Hey I'm serious. You've got a family that recognized your existence. Rank in society and a building education. A future. That's something none of us had," he said, his tone with a bit of an edge now. Roxas said nothing, and it was because he knew Axel was right and he felt ashamed for asking. Axel caught onto that and sighed, hoping he hadn't hurt him, "…Alright no more talking, you need to sleep."

Roxas nodded and tried not to seem bothered by what had been said, "I guess you're right."

Axel however wasn't about to leave with him like this, especially over something he'd said, "Ofcourse I'm right!" he said, hopping into the room, "I'm Axel the great!" he exclaimed, striking a mock heroic pose. Roxas laughed and they both felt better now, "Nighty night Roxy," Axel said, ruffling up his blonde hair a bit before heading for the window.

He almost made it out before Roxas called after him, "Hey Axel," and got his attention, "Is it okay if I come by later tonight?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Ofcourse!" Axel said with a smile, "You're welcome to come by anytime."

It was odd. Here, ten hours after Axel left, standing in front of the door to his father's study, Roxas was more reluctant that when he was making his way to the circie bonfire last night. He knew he'd told they he'd try and set up a meeting with his father for them but they all knew very well how much the ambassador disliked them. It wasn't that he was a hateful person. On the contrary he was quite pleasant, he just stood very firm by his beliefs; and thanks to the minister he, like the rest of Twilight Town, believed the circus was hell on earth.

It was another good 5 minutes before Roxas took one last deep breath and opened the door, "Hey dad, got a minute?" he asked.

Ashton Eliot, ambassador of Twilight Town and father to Sora and Roxas, was a thin but very tall man. His hair was unruly similar to his sons' but shorter and groomed neatly. He had frameless glasses and was always dressed the same in a white button up dress shirt and neatly ironed black pants. He looked up from the papers he was reviewing to see who had come in, "Ofcourse Roxas, come on in," he said, beckoning him in with a smile. Roxas came in and sat down in one of the chairs on the opposite side of his father, "Something you need to talk about?" he asked, folding his hands and resting his chin on them.

Roxas thought about how to say this easiest, which obviously was bending the truth…just enough to get a yes but not enough to make it a lie, "I have some friends who need a little help."

At this his father quirked an eyebrow, "Is this one of those conversations where 'friend' refers to you?" he questioned with a small grin, "If so you can just say so, it'll make things much easier."

Roxas shook his head, "No it's not me, they're some friends I made the other day," he said, that wasn't necessarily a lie, "They're putting on a play," still true right? "And since they're not…you know a big name here yet they wanted to know if maybe you'd give them a little pro-publicity," still not lying, "You know, since people here know and respect you."

Much to his surprise, his father smiled, "Sure, why not, they sound like a fun bunch. And let's face it: the town could use some entertainment."

"Really?" Roxas blurted out, hoping he didn't sound too surprised.

"I'd like to see a pitch first though, just to take a look and make sure it's something the town would take a liking to," he told him, not having the slightest idea of the 'play' Roxas was really referring to, "Invite them over tonight."

That worried him though; Roxas wasn't sure how he would take a circus encounter, especially if he was the one who denied them entrance to this world. If that's what it took though it would have to be done, "Sounds great. Thanks dad." And as soon as he was finished he hurried out, eager to tell the circies of the news. Remember how he thought it was difficult getting home last night without being caught? Well getting back to the circus in broad daylight proved to be a million times more difficult. It was all worth it though when he finally made it.

At first he couldn't find anyone, but he heard a unique melody on the piano, accompanied by a stringed instrument of sort which he couldn't identify. He followed the music to the big top, the largest tent which was black in color as opposed to the few others around the grounds. It took a minute to find the entrance but when he made it inside he found a completely new world.

It was huge! The ground was covered from wall to wall in vibrant red flooring, with a slight rubber-like give to it rather than being completely solid. Around the perimeter of the tent were bleacher seating, though unlike the ones in a gymnasium they were sectioned seats covered and cushioned in satin red material a lighter hue than that of the floor though, and in the front, closest to the ground were closed box seats which obviously were reserved for the VIP's and higher paying audience members. Supporting the extraordinarily high ceiling from the inside were two thick masts opposite, and a good distance apart, from each other and reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Bordering around the top of the tent, just before it made it's rise to the vertex, were hundreds of lights; ranging in color from clear to purple, just the red and some of the clear were turned on at the moment though. Straight across from the entrance, on the opposite side of the room, was an elaborate wall of many different instruments; a grand piano, three flutes, a drum set, a trumpet, the entire orchestra family, and a large master organ whose pipes reached high and were almost even with the top level of the seats.

As Roxas looked around in sheer wonder he took notice of the circies spread about the tent. Demyx was over by the wall of instruments, playing away on a guitar-like instrument called a sitar which explained the strings Roxas heard, but much to his surprise the piano was playing itself. He would have to ask about that later.

Kairi was sitting off towards the left half of the tent, but she wasn't alone. Lying around her, with no cage in sight, were 3 large white tigers and 2 lions of the same color. At first Roxas panicked but they seemed quite harmless, the two lions wrapped closely around her, one sleeping and the other enjoying a pleasant scratch behind the ear. The tigers were also close though they were watching the shots of purple being fired across the room, quite calm despite that.

Roxas looked to see where the shots were coming from and saw Xigbar sitting in the middle section of the bleachers on the right, shooting unique purple shards with an elaborate looking hand gun across the room to orange boards positioned around the room, hitting accurately every time. One board was at the base of the left support beam, three scattered through the bleachers and one was alarmingly right by the head of another circie.

Riku was sitting slouched in a box seat by the entrance, feet propped up on the low wall between the front seats and the main floor, and not seeming concerned in the least about the target board in the seat just behind and above him. In fact there were already 5 shots in the target, all a safe distance above him and in the center of the board. Rather than pay attention to Xigbar's target practice he seemed to be writing something down on a notepad.

"Demyx! Hurry up!" When Roxas heard her he looked up and saw Larxene. She was sitting on a platform near the top of the right support beam, a similar platform one on the other. Roxas took notice of the three trapezes on both sides, tied down to the railings.

"Just a minute," he replied in sing-song, finishing up on the sitar and putting it back on the wall. What happened next seemed rather odd to Roxas. The piano stopped and Demyx said, "Rightio! Lets have you guys play…Alegria," and three counts later the piano, organ, and flutes were all playing themselves. "Ack! Not you organ," and instantly the organ stopped, leaving the four remaining instruments playing the requested tune. He seemed pleased then hurried off to the opposite mast as if this were an everyday thing, which it was.

Roxas watched the enchanted instruments play themselves, others coming in perfectly on cue at their time, almost as if they were alive. Then his attention turned to Axel, whom was easily the most distracting. The magician was just off center in the tent, creating and manipulating fires, both midair and on the ground. Since the floor wasn't going up in flames Roxas caught onto the fact it was fireproof.

He spent quite a many minutes lost in the act, watching him play with the fires he made, flipping over and under them, tossing and catching them and forming captivating images; his actions far more daring than most would ever consider trying in a lifetime.

"Out of the way kid," Roxas heard a deep voice grunt behind him before he was shoved to the side and lading on his backside. He looked up and saw a huge bear-like man with a build similar to a rock…a very big rock with straggly brown hair and tree trunk proportioned limbs.

However Roxas wasn't the only one who noticed the bear, Axel noticed his actions out of the corner of his eye and quickly extinguished the flames, "Hey fat-head! Be nice to Roxy!" he said, heading over towards the entrance.

This caused a chain reaction though, when Riku heard it he assumed a mess was about to erupt and stood up to see what was going on around the corner. When he got up though he hadn't noticed Xigbar had just fired a shot at the target behind him, but fortunately luck was on his side and the shard went right between his arm and waist, missing him by only inches. It didn't addle him too badly though he shot a look of death to Xigbar, whom was rolling with laughter in his seat.

Axel made it to the entrance and stopped the large man from going any further, despite the face he was a good foot taller than Axel and about three times in size, "Apologize," he insisted, blocking his path and crossing his arms.

The large man scoffed and started around him though, however Axel stayed in front of him easily. "Move," he said in a threatening tone similar to a growl. Axel didn't move right away, but after another moment of the stare down he moved to the side and the large brute started by. He didn't notice however, that Axel put his foot out and tripped him, sending him tumbling down to the ground.

Everyone in the tent rolled with laughter, and the large man got back to his feet, turning on Axel and grabbing him by the front of his shirt, "Think you're funny?" he spat, mad beyond mad.

Axel however grinned and said, "Yup." It was obvious the brute wanted to knock his head off but when he looked back and saw Riku watching he let go of Axel and stormed off to the opposite side of the tent. When he was away Riku sat back down and returned to writing and Axel sighed heavily, "Whew! Thought he really was gonna kill me there for a second. Good thing he values his job too much," he said, straightening out his shirt and heading over to help Roxas up, "You alright Roxy?"

Roxas nodded, "Yeah I'm fine, thanks," he said, taking Axel's hand and getting to his feet, "Who was that?"

"Lexaeus. The self title 'Iron Man,' of the circus. Guy could break a truck," Axel said, "Would rather eat one though."

Roxas laughed a little then his attention was quickly captured by Demyx and Larxene swinging and flipping through the air on the trapeze. Axel noticed his awed stare, and headed back to the main floor, "This is your first time seeing this kinda stuff isn't it?" he asked. Roxas followed and nodded, to busy watching the defiance of gravity to voice a reply, "We weren't expecting you this early so we thought we'd practice a bit. Don't want to get rusty you know," Axel told him.

It was clear none of what he was saying though was registering with Roxas though and Axel decided to see just how out of it he was. Roxas seemed to be following him subconsciously as Axel wandered around in circles all around the floor. "Hey Axel, who's your new dog?" Roxas heard Xigbar ask, and when he looked back down he jumped when he saw Axel's hand in front of his face, a little flame above each finger.

Axel laughed and extinguished the flames when he came back to reality, "Well it's good to see we can still captivate an audience." Roxas laughed a little in embarrassment and looked down at his feet. "Keep your chin up, it's a good thing," Axel told him, tapping him under the chin to get him to look up, grinning in his usual manner and looking up as well, "Always remember to look up Roxy."

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I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as it was the first time I got to actually show something between Axel and Roxas. I know they didn't jump into each others pants and that would have been more bold than what I wrote, but I truly felt it suiting and with just enough significance. At a later time there may be that chapter, after all this is rated M so assume some of you are expecting it, but for now I am more than pleased with this. However, I value the opinion of my readers as well and would like to know what you thought of this chapter. I would also like to say that I have begun to write chapter 4, but I am still pondering it's full elements, and I hope to be finished by this time next week, possibly sooner but no guarantees.

Well I have nothing more to say this evening, and instead will be off to catch up on the sleep I've been deprived over this past month of hell. Until next time I wish you all the best my lovelies and ask, as always, for your honest review, even if you are not registered at this site you are welcome to leave an anonymous one.

A million thank yous to you all for taking the time to read and a billion more to everyone that has reviewed!

Your loving(and exhausted) bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

**PS**: I know I said I wouldn't give away any side pairings, and that you were welcome to fantasize, but I really feel the need to say: RIKU AND LEXAEUS **ARE** **NOT** AND **WILL NOT** BE A PAIRING!A MAJOR kingdom hearts fanatic and close friend of mine read this earlier (thus explaining the mysterious and inconvenient disappearance of my notebook this morning) and got that impression and I don't want people to think that. Riku, as the ringmaster, has the authority to dismiss Lexaeus from the circus if he feels that he is out of hand or a threat to the others. Lexaeus values his job but not his co-workers (they're more like a loose family in my opinion though) so with an obvious short-temper he has to be careful.


	4. The Pitch

Finally! I finally found the time to sit and type this all out! cheers for self been uber busy with school and stuff and have two big AP tests to look forward to on Thursday. So why did I type this rather than study? Because life is to short to stress, plus I can make a fun little song to remember everything I need to know in like 5 minutes. Hehe thank you creative learning skills! I don't know about the rest of you but I am looking very much forward to this weekend, and even better we have Friday off! Hooray! And that means I will more than certainly have a new chapter planned and complete by Sunday night at the latest .

Also thank you to all of my reviewers! I love you all! Millions of patty cake games for all reviewers! I'm working on getting a reply back to each of you but as I said before things have been busy. If you haven't gotten one yet I promise you will soon!

Enough of my life though, you're not here to read about that anyway. This chapter develops secondary characters and as expected contains the circies' pitch. How will it all go? Why ask me? See for yourself!

**PS: **The song 'Spectacular Spectacular,' is a snippet from the one from Moulin Rouge. The full was too long and irrelevant to their pitch and I tweaked the lyrics with one or two words to keep it fitting. **I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG!**

**(For those of you who saw this chapter early pardon my French...for not being there XD)

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**Chapter 4**

"Nervous or cold Roxy?"

The question snapped Roxas back to his senses and he looked over at Axel, then around at the rest of the circies in the train car. He wasn't the only one looking them over though; as usual their attire was quite unique and distracting to the rest of the passengers. There was Riku sitting across from him, slouched against Demyx whom was sitting beside him, and Larxene was lying stretched out on the other side of Demyx, her head on his lap.

"Roxy?"

Roxas had again gotten sidetracked with the thoughts of what people around them must be thinking of the group, and him for sitting with them. These were people he'd been sharing a town with since he was born, and he dreaded the image they had of him for this. He wouldn't admit it but he was deliberately not answering, simply in hopes the people in the car wouldn't think he was with them. He felt bad about it though, especially after the circies had been so open and welcoming of him.

Axel wasn't a fool though, when he didn't get an answer he realized what was going on and sat back, staring out the window ahead and watching the moon rising in the distance. None of them said anything for the rest of the way there, even after they got off the train and were on their way to Roxas' house the talking was scarce. "Right, best manners everyone," Riku reminded when they reached the front door, though his tone was hinted with sarcasm.

Roxas again felt ill about what could happen once they got inside, but it was a little late to turn back now, so he opened the doors. Since the house was large and he didn't want to drag them around as he looked for his father, Roxas asked the maid to do it while they waited in the parlor, the circies easily making themselves comfortable. Roxas followed Axel, since he was the one who made him feel the most comfortable, but his plan got shot down when he sat in the only single person seat. Roxas wondered if maybe it was deliberate so he couldn't tag along, but he couldn't think of any reason why he would do something like that.

Brushing it off he instead went over and sat on the couch by Riku, "So did you plan anything?" he asked.

"Nope," was a confusing answer, especially since their names depended on this pitch and Roxas thought for sure they'd have something ready, "You see Roxy, if you don't make plans, they can't go wrong, right?"

It was a valid point but Roxas was still not convinced, "Then what are you going to do?"

"What I do best. Think on my feet with whatever music Demyx concocts on that piano," Riku told him nodding towards the grand piano in the corner which Demyx was already examining.

"You didn't write anything down?" Roxas asked, watching Demyx now just to make sure he didn't break it.

"Not yet. Whatever we think up I'll write down later, that's what I always do, and sometimes we can use them for shows that fit. And don't worry, Demyx isn't going to break your piano," Riku told him, noticing his unfaltering stare and finding his worry amusing.

Roxas turned his eyes back to Riku and for some reason, right then, remembered what Axel had told him this morning about Kairi. She'd not been allowed to come because they all knew the story she'd given her parents, and about her affair with Sora, so bringing her to this house would ruin everything. For all the town knew, they could be a completely different circus, in no relation to Kairi. And once they got people coming to the show and they saw Kairi was happy, hopefully the past would be brushed off and their name fully cleared.

"Um…" Roxas was curious and worried about one thing though: in all the mess, had his brother ever actually met the person whom Kairi cheated on him with? Ofcourse not, if that was the case then he wouldn't have come and risked jeopardizing their chances. He also remembered Axel told him not to bring it up so he changed his mind on topics, "I wish my stuff was that clever."

Riku paid noticeable more attention when he heard that, "You improv Roxy?"

Roxas shook his head quickly though, "No not improv…I just kinda write stuff in my spare time and…you know sometimes think about how it would sound with music but it's really not that good."

"Try having a little more confidence, if you don't like it then why should anybody else?" Riku pointed out before standing up, "Mind if I take a look?"

"…Well, I guess it would be okay," Roxas said though obviously hesitant. He'd never really shown his work to anyone, and doubted anyone else even knew he did it…but saying no had always been a weak point of his.

"Thanks," Riku said as he headed for the door. It wasn't until after he left that Roxas realized he hadn't told him where his room was, let alone the book, but before he could go after him the door reopened and in walked his father, "Roxas who on earth was…" but he stopped. Apparently he had been alarmed enough to pass by Riku, but even more so when he saw three more unique and unfamiliar looking people in his parlor. Roxas was surprised though, his father didn't seem put off by it, just confused; and then it dawned on him…he didn't know they were circies.

"Dad…these are the friends I told you about, the ones doing the play," Roxas told him, the circies all looking to him as if to confirm what they'd just heard.

"Oh yes, I remember now, it's good to meet—" he started but apparently the circies were not going to go into this known as something they weren't. "Mr. Ambassador, we're not in a play," Demyx said, surprisingly the first to speak up.

There was a brief silence before Axel leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, "We're from the circus," he said then glanced over to Roxas, meeting his panicked eyes then looking back to his father, who seemed to be remaining composed, "Our apologies that Roxas was too embarrassed to tell you the truth."

It was odd. Roxas felt an incredible guilt weighing down on him after just that one look. Axel had seemed like the kind of person to shrug things off and keep his usual mannerism alive, but it was clear that was not the case. He looked to the other two circies and saw them watching Axel and then the ambassador, as if waiting for the death penalty to be announced.

There was a long silence then he cleared his throat and looked over to Roxas, "Roxas, a word please," he said. Roxas didn't answer though, he was staring at Axel and trying to piece together an apology even if he couldn't find the courage or words to voice it. The circie had been more than kind to him even before they knew each other, and even if they'd barely known each other for a day Axel had treated him like one of his oldest and closest friends…And yet on their way here Roxas had treated him like dirt.

"Roxas," his father repeated with more volume this time to bring him from his daze. He looked up to his father and when beckoned out of the room he stood up and followed him out, closing the door behind him but catching one last look from Axel before they shut.

Once they were out of earshot his father turned back to him, "Roxas, what were you thinking?"

"Dad listen they're not bad people," Roxas said, "I know what the church is saying but it's not true!" But the look he got when he said it made it clear his father thought he'd lost his mind. "I'm not crazy, they're just entertainers, not demons," he said, surprised by his own tone.

His father said nothing, he seemed flustered and trying to figure out what to say, "Roxas…How long have you know these…people?" he finally asked.

He should have said 'since yesterday,' but he'd actually met them at the beginning of the week on his way back from school, "For about a week, but I know they're good people. And I've seen their acts, they're incredible and it's wrong that the town is kept from seeing it too."

"…Roxas you were too young to tell back when it happened, but the last time they were here—" but Roxas shook his head and cut his father's sentence short, "I know what happened dad. Kairi lied though. She wanted to go with them, they didn't corrupt her," he told him.

There was another silence while his father seemed to be figuring out how to best handle the situation, "Who told you this?"

"Axel. But I've seen and talked with Kairi too, and she's happy with them," Roxas told him, even though he knew his father didn't even know who Axel was, "Don't you see why she'd lie?"

"No I don't, she—" but Roxas was not going to be suppressed now, and he cut him short again, "If I were happier there and was going to run off with them I wouldn't want to tell you the truth either, especially if you thought as ill of them as Kairi's parents did," Roxas told him, the scenario had actually been on his mind last night after he'd contemplated becoming a circie.

His father looked at him for a moment and sighed, even if he could see the validation in it he found what Roxas said to be oddly haunting and now feared that he was going to fufill it, "…Why do you trust them?"

"Because there's no reason not to," the answer was simple and Roxas smiled a little at how easily it had come to him, he really did trust the circies.

Surprisingly his father shared the smile, "…Alright, I'll give them a chance…but promise me something," Roxas waited for something like 'clean your room' or 'be nicer to grandma,' but was awed by what his request, "Don't run off with them."

That was twice now this thought had been shot down, once by Axel this morning, and now by his own father. But he realized something: they weren't saying it to hold him back; they just wanted what was best for him. Roxas nodded a little then hugged him, "I promise…thanks dad."

His father smiled and patted him on the back, relieved to hear that, "Well let's not keep them waiting." Roxas let go and they started back to the parlor when Roxas suddenly remembered something, "I'd better go get Riku," he said, stopping and hurrying back to the stairs. He stopped halfway there though and looked back to his father whom was still on his way to the parlor, "Um…If you don't want to you don't have to go in yet," Roxas offered, not wanting him to feel horribly out of place and uneasy around the three circies.

"If you're willing to give them a chance then I should be too, right?" he answered while waving him off, "Go on, go find your friend and come join us when you can."

Roxas watched him go back into the parlor and shut the door behind him, sighing heavily with relief. Things had gone so well and his father was going to give them a chance, and now Roxas could only hope things stayed and finished well. Who knew, by the end of the night the circies could have a clean name…well, at least on their way to one.

While this was all going on Riku had found Roxas' room and that had actually been more difficult than finding the right notebook. Since he'd done the same thing back when he was Roxas' age he had a fairly good idea of where to look. As he was reading through it he had to admit the boy was talented. He had a steady rhyme scheme and vivid description. The only problem he saw was that everything was based around suppression and lack of freedom. The trick about writing well is versatility, and that was something Roxas didn't have.

Riku however caught onto the fact that this was due to his life, all expression inevitably traces back to your life. The more he read the more he worried about their Roxy and came to one simple conclusion, "…He needs our help more than we need his."

"What are you doing in here?"

Riku turned to see who it was, not recognizing the voice but once he saw the person he quickly figured it out. Now he'd never met Sora but he could see some resemblance between him and Roxas, and gathered that this was his brother, and also Kairi's ex. He didn't think about that though, he'd never met Sora so he had no reason to think he was in any trouble, "Tu est un gnas homald," even if he wasn't in any sort of mess he figured if Sora couldn't understand him then he'd not ask any questions.

"Did you just call me a fat lobster?" Sora seemed baffled.

Riku found it very humorous though, "I was hoping you wouldn't understand French," he admitted, deciding English would be easier since Sora understood both languages.

"French, Italian, and Spanish," Sora boasted, assuming he was just one of Roxas' friends rather than a circie, even if his clothes were…more unique than others. He was wearing straight leg jeans which looked like a patchwork of different dark denims and a fitted white button up shirt with the Greek comedy mask on the right half of his torso, painted on in black, also an old tattered red dog collar was around his neck, though it was obviously for a large dog as it was lose and still had enough extra to hang from the buckle.

"Bragger aren't you?" Riku said. While others might not feel it right to say something like that he was notoriously open-minded.

"Excuse me?" Sora said, quite taken aback that he'd been shown mockery rather than amaze.

"You're excused," Riku replied casually, looking back to the notebook, "Your brother is quite talented." Sora however was still insulted and didn't answer, instead he took the notebook and looked at it. After a moment Riku took the book back and said, "You know, if you're going to pretend to be reading you could at least move your eyes."

Sora looked up and was about to say something but Roxas came in the doorway and saw Riku first, "Hey Riku, dad's ready to listen to you guys."

"Who else is here?" Sora asked, looking to Roxas with question. Seldom did he have friends over and he couldn't imagine there being more people here.

Roxas took quick notice of his brother then looked back to Riku, wondering what had gone on between the two. Riku winked at him to let him know everything was fine and not to worry, then to Sora said, "Haven't you heard? The circus is in town."

There was a brief moment of silence following this, finally broken by Riku, "I'll be there in a minute Roxy," he said, waving him away. Roxas looked to him for a second, worried about what would happen next, but he seemed calm and so he nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

When sure he was gone Riku sat down on the foot of the bed and shut the notebook, "So you're Sora."

"And I take it you're Riku," while Riku sounded calm Sora seemed disconcert.

Riku was actually surprised he knew him, "I'm guessing Kairi told you the full story then."

"Much more amusing than the one she gave her parents isn't it?" Sora said. Obviously this was a topic of unease for him and understandably so, "Why are you here?"

"Honestly? I have no idea," he admitted, standing up and pulling out his carton of cigarettes, taking one for himself the offering one to Sora, "It was her idea."

"And you were stupid enough to go along with it?" Sora took the cigarette but was still not too thrilled with him.

"Well if you're going to insult me I'm not going to tell you her reasoning," Riku said, putting the carton away and bringing out a lighter. He flicked it open and lit the end of his cigarette before handing it to Sora, "She told us her parents were over what happened and we could finally give a show. Nobody was surprised when we got here and found out the truth though."

Sora lit his cigarette but when he inhaled the peppermint smoke rather than nicotine he was a bit shocked, though he said nothing about that, "And what's the truth?"

"The truth is we don't know the truth and probably will never find out," Riku said, making little sense, "The girl is a nuisance that could drive Hades to suicide."

Something didn't set right with Sora after that though, "If she's such a nuisance then why are you letting her stay?"

Riku didn't answer right away, instead he took a moment to enjoy the fire in his throat, exhaling the smoke slowly, "Well…it's my fault for trusting her, isn't it? I have to solve problems before I can get rid of them. Until I figure out how to make it up to the people affected by what happened I can't, in all morality, get rid of her."

Sora was honesty surprised by the reply, "So 'circus demons' have morality," he said. Most people would have done away with Kairi after the mess erupted but Riku was trying to make amend for it, "It's not your fault though."

"I thought that too for a while, but if I'd just told her no when she asked if she could come with us then none of this would have happened," Riku said.

In truth Sora saw his point but still saw Kairi the most responsible, "…Is she happy?" he asked, going over to the window and tapping off the ashes on the tip of his cigarette. He saw Riku nod as he came over to join him, then said, "Well then she's the one who should amend what happened, not you."

"What makes you think that?" Riku laughed a bit, wondering how happiness related to being guilty.

"She's living off the happiness promised for someone else, the person she pretended to be. You told that person she could come, not her, and so you shouldn't be responsible for her," Sora explained.

"I still took her from her family though," Riku said flatly, "Figure that one out psychiatrist."

"She was pretending to be someone else with them too though wasn't she? You didn't take Kairi from them, she was already gone," Sora said simply, "If you ask me, she's the one who should try to make amend to you and the rest of us."

Riku thought about what he'd said for a minute. Was there really any reason he should feel it was his fault? Sora had made it clear he'd never really been with or taken Kairi from anyone. Well…almost, "What about you?"

Sora shrugged absentmindedly, "What about me?"

"She was your girlfriend, I took that from you," he said, bringing the cigarette back to his lips.

"Who's to say she was ever really herself around me?" Sora asked, "Don't worry about it, I don't miss her."

Riku wasn't convinced though and leaned against the wall by the window, "Well you can have her back. The girl is nothing special."

Sora immediately turned on him and lunged out, grabbing the extra hanging from the buckle on the dog collar and pulling the collar tight to strangle him, "Take it…back," halfway through his sentence he realized what he was doing and his voice calmed.

Riku hadn't moved, in fact he smirked a little at the assault, "Still care huh?" he said, though it wasn't a question. Sora let go of the collar and Riku loosened it back to where it had been, "Listen, I had no idea you two were together when we met. I'm not the kind of guy who takes away someone's girlfriend."

Sora nodded. Kairi hadn't told him Riku didn't know about them, but Sora assumed as much after talking with him tonight, "It's okay, she just played us both for fools…you're not still together are you?"

Riku was a little surprised by that question, "I've got more integrity than that. As soon as we figured out the truth I left her." Sora was glad to hear that but Riku knew something he had to do, even if he didn't blame himself for the mess that occurred 3 years ago, "I've got to make it up to you."

"You don't owe me anything," Sora told him finishing his cigarette and flicking it out the window.

"You convinced me it wasn't my fault, and trust me, that's earned you something," Riku insisted, watching the remains of his cigarette turn to ash.

Sora shook his head a bit, it was obvious Riku wasn't going to take no as an answer, "Fine, what are you going to do for me?" he asked, finding this conversation almost amusing.

After doing away with his cigarette Riku smirked, "Simple, I'm going to prove to you that all the rumors about the circus you've been told are wrong."

Sora laughed, "That's a lot."

"Good thing we've got two weeks left then," Riku said as he stood up straight and headed for the door, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got an appointment to keep." Sora watched him go and smirked a little. If Riku was really going to do as he said then Sora imagined he had an entertaining two weeks ahead of him.

Riku was heading back to the parlor when halfway down the stairs he saw Roxas standing by the door, "What's up?" he asked, wondering why he hadn't gone in.

"It's quiet," Roxas said in a whisper.

Riku made it to the bottom of the stairs and went over to join him by the doors, pressing his ear against it but hearing nothing at all, not even Demyx playing away on the piano, "That can't be good." Since Roxas was obviously too nervous to, Riku opened the door and went in first.

Roxas went in after him and saw what he feared. Demyx and Larxene were sitting on the piano bench, intently watching Axel and the ambassador whom were sitting across from each other, staring the other down unblinkingly. There was a moments more silence before Axel blinked and the other three erupted with shouts and laughter. "You're good Mr. Ambassador!" Demyx explained.

Roxas realized they'd been in a staring contest, thus explaining the intense looks and silence. "Well when you have to sit in world meetings twice a week you learn to keep your eyes open for extended periods of time, or risk offending board members," his father laughed.

"Must be difficult when the speeches bore you to sleep huh?" Riku asked, alerting the others of his and Roxas' presence. When he saw them Demyx turned to the piano and played the impending tune of a funeral and caused the others to laugh. "Thank you for the commentary Demyx," Riku said, though he was entertained as well.

The ambassador stood up and held his hand out to him, "Ashton Eliot, good to meet you."

"Riku," he replied, introducing himself and taking the hand to shake, "But we're a hugging bunch Mr. Eliot," he said, hugging him.

Roxas couldn't believe his father returned it and laughed before sitting back down and looking around the room at them, "Well I must admit that I've never in my days seen such a colorful bunch."

"It's who we are," Larxene said with a smile.

"I see. Well tell me, why I should sponsor you?" little did the ambassador know that his question was just the trigger Riku needed, and all the circies saw the glint in his eyes and smirk on his lips. He stood up and they grinned, Larxene rolling her eyes, and Demyx giggling as he readied himself at the piano.

"You see Mr. Eliot sir, the show will be a magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan bedazzlement, eventual ravishment," he began, volume and fervor building and Roxas realized he should probably sit down if things got as fanatical as he'd seen them with "La Vie Boheme."

"What do you mean by that?" his father asked, leaning forward with interest.

Riku laughed a bit, "It will be," and Demyx suddenly rolled over all the keys on the piano, starting at the bottom and quickly to the top, then after every few words accented down on the keys.

"Spectacular, spectacular! No words in the vernacular, can describe this great event," Riku said, more spoken than sung, then he leaned in towards the ambassador, "You'll be dumb with wonderment…Returns are fixed at ten percent," he added with a grin before standing up an walking away, "You must agree, that's excellent! And on top of your fee—" then, as if they could read his thoughts, the other circies joined in singing, "You'll be involved artistically."

Roxas glanced over to his father just to see how he was taking this, relieved to see he was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the antics. He looked back to the circies and saw them get to their feet, even Demyx while he played on,

"So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer!

So delighting, it will run for 50 years!" they sang before Axel exclaimed, "Elephants! Magicians!"

Larxene ran over to the ambassadors seat and squealed, "Daredevils! And crazy men!" when she got there she put her foot on the open seat and flipped herself back over, landing behind Riku who sat in the open seat and put an arm around the ambassador's shoulders, pointing over to Demyx as he was saying, "Acrobats and juggling bears!"

"Exotic girls! Fire eaters!" Riku asserted, turning the ambassador's attention to Axel as he dove through a ring of his own fire, "Muscle Men! Contortionists!" Axel said, getting to his feet by Larxene and joining her in saying and acting out, "Intrigue, danger, and romance!" at the last part she jumped into his arms and he spun her around, laughing as she chimed in again with, "Electric lights, Machinery, powered with electricity!"

Riku jumped off the couch and Axel tossed Larxene to him, but rather than be caught, she rolled backwards out of his arm, landing at the ambassador's feet and they all repeated the first part of the song;: "So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!" everyone, even Demyx ran over to the ambassador and gathered around him, Larxene remaining at his feet, Axel jumping to the back of the couch and sitting by his head, Demyx flopped back onto the couch, his head on the ambassador's legs and Riku sat on Demyx's chest and leaned against the ambassador. They were all comfortable like that as they silenced in unison.

Roxas had watched the whole thing and couldn't believe it had been improv! The circies must have been closer than he thought to play around like that so well. It was obvious that his father was impressed by their performance as well, as he applauded them, "Bravo! Bravo!"

The circies all got off of him and took their bows, causing the ambassador to laugh at their antics, "That was wonderful! Spectacular!"

The circies all flopped themselves comfortably around the room, Demyx and Larxene sitting on the floor at the ambassador's feet, much like children. Riku sat by the ambassador again and Axel sat on the arm of the chair Roxas was sitting it. Roxas looked up at him ashamedly, remembering the way he'd treated him. Axel merely smiled and ruffled a hand through his blond hair and then put the hand on his shoulder, hugging him to his side. Roxas smiled and rested his head comfortably against his side, glad he'd been forgiven and that he hadn't lost Axel's friendship.

"You're truly a talented bunch," the ambassador told them, looking to each circie and seeming very pleased.

"That was nothing, you should see a full show," Axel boasted.

"I'm sure it would be something well worth going to," the ambassador said.

The circies, though glad for the compliment, were anxious for an answer, "So, do you think you can help us out?" Riku asked the question they all wanted to.

There was no immediate answer and they took that as a bad sign, "Well…while I'm sure the town would love your show the fact of the matter is you've not been favored for three years…However Roxas has explained to me the full story of what happened and while I accept it I doubt her parents will."

When he heard this Riku glanced over to Roxas, wondering how he knew what happened. Then he noticed Axel and assumed he was to blame. "Then again the people have been going off simply what the church has told them, so if I can get around them you might get it."

"Go around the church?" Roxas spoke up, finding that statement very bold, especially from his father.

"Why not? These people have no reason to be denied an audience," when his father said that the circies all cheered some sort of agreement, Demyx even leaping up to hug him, "First thing in the morning I'll head out into town and spread the good word. If all goes well you'll have a full audience by the weekend, why I'll leave right now!"

"Roxy your dad is the greatest!" Larxene squealed, latching onto the ambassador with Demyx. The ambassador laughed and they let go so he could get up, skipping ahead to open the doors for him. Riku and the ambassador followed him and Axel started to get up as well, but Roxas held onto the side of his shirt, letting him know he wanted him to wait. Riku noticed that they weren't following and distracted the ambassador with conversation as they left to keep him from noticing they weren't behind them.

When they were gone Roxas looked up to Axel, trying to piece together what he wanted to say, "…Axel, I'm sorry about the way I acted on the way here…it's not that I'm embarrassed or anything, it's just…"

Axel smiled and ruffled a hand through the blond hair, "Don't worry about it Roxy, after all we aren't exactly normal," he said, seeming fine with saying it.

"But I'm not ashamed about being with you guys, I'm really not," Roxas said as he looked down at the floor, trying to fabricate what he wanted to say, "...I just feel out of place."

"That's understandable. We're pretty different you know," Axel said, pointing out the obvious. Roxas however still felt bad about his behavior earlier though and Axel took notice. He tapped a finger under his chin to get him to look up, "Remember what I told you Roxy, keep your chin up. I forgive you."

Roxas smiled and leaned back against him, very content and feeling much better now. He was relieved that he hadn't lost a friend like Axel. Even if he'd barely known him for 24 hours he felt closer to Axel than anyone and he wanted things to stay that way.

Feeling the blond lean back against him Axel smirked and put his hand back on his shoulder, knowing that he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the boy, "You're a good kid Roxy. Don't forget that."

* * *

Well my lovelies how was that? This is actually the longest chapter I've written (though originally I was going to combine the window scene at the beginning of chapter three into chapter two but that seemed too long) but it doesn't feel like it. Then again I did type it all in one evening and with only one cup of peppermint tea. New record! What did you think of it though? The circies are getting the help they deserve and Riku/Sora fans have been given something to dote on, however I still am not saying if that will be a pairing. I do believe I'm becoming obsessed with cute Axel/Roxas chapter endings though. This one makes me 'awww' every time. 

But now I will take my leave and wrap things up with a: "Please, please, please review and let me know what you think! As always anonymous reviews are welcome if you aren't registered here, and there will be a game of hopscotch for all who review, as I am patty-caked out." Until next time I wish you all the best and thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	5. Rain, Rain, Go Away

Holy wow! 20 reviews?! Thank you guys soooo much! You are oh so kind and helpful to me! And now a present for you! It is…A BRAND NEW AND LOVELY CHAPTER!

Sorry for the wait but you see I've been living in the theater for the past several nights (literally) See when we moved out here the school was already halfway through their fall play so it was too late to get in. However I spend the majority of my days there helping out and evenings there goofing off (more so now that there's no evil AP papers to worry about)

Well tonight I found time to type everything out and give it a tweak so I'm delighted to present it to you. I actually wrote this 3 different ways but this one seemed the best, however there is a…surprise piece shall we say? I'll leave you to read now though so please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

While some worlds were fortunate to have light summer rains, Twilight Town had nothing for days on end and when it finally did rain it poured. Weather however did little to hinder the circies, especially after some of the conditions they'd performed in. However one circie was in a particularly glum mood this rainy afternoon, as Roxas would soon find out.

It had been two days since his father agreed to sponsor them and since he no longer had to hide where he was going, Roxas usually spent his entire day with the circies from 9 in the morning to sometimes not until the following morning when Axel escorted him back home. While Roxas told him it wasn't necessary Axel said he didn't mind and wanted to make sure 'little Roxy' made it home safely, and honestly Roxas enjoyed his company.

Today he was running late because he had gotten a call from his former anatomy teacher, whom asked him to confirm the news of the circus. Only Luxord could be excused for not knowing about the circus, simply because he was…well, him. Roxas' father had met with him apparently and asked Roxas to deliver a letter to someone by the name of 'crazy-ass femme,' language Roxas expected from his teacher, though he couldn't fathom who he was referring to, nor was he sure what was in the letter he now carried with him.

As usual the circies were in the Big Top, lounging comfortably or partaking in some feat that Roxas was always interested in watching. He went in the main entrance and closed his umbrella, setting it by the entry before going inside to look around. He saw Demyx swinging on the trapeze upside down, suspended by his legs and holding onto Larxene's hands as they swung back then forward and she let go, flipping off and grabbing onto the other trapeze before swinging away back to the support beam.

Roxas smiled at the act, the defiance of gravity only further amazing him. Then he looked around and saw Xigbar lounging in the upper portion of nearby bleachers, seemingly asleep. Lexaeus was nowhere to be seen, much to Roxas' relief, and Riku was pacing a short distance back and forth on the main floor, a notebook in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Roxas recalled he'd mentioned he wrote down any song he came up with and sometimes could use it for another show, which made him curious as to what he was going to do once they had an audience.

Kairi also was nowhere to be seen, though he hadn't seen much of her since the afternoon of the circies pitch. Honestly he was surprised Axel wasn't showing off on the main floor, as that was always the case every time he came. He looked around but couldn't find him in the bleachers either and found that even more odd. With him not around, Roxas went to Riku instead, who didn't notice him until he tapped him on the shoulder and jumped a bit, "Hey, don't sneak up on people Roxy," he said.

Roxas quickly apologized but Riku shook his head and laughed, "I'm kidding. Don't take life so seriously," he said, bringing the cigarette back to his lips and paying attention to him, "Little late aren't you?" the circies had gotten used to him being here early, sometimes before they even got up, but they didn't mind.

"One of my professors wanted to see me," Roxas told him as he searched his pockets for the letter he'd been given.

"Aren't you in summer break though?" he asked, finding a meeting outside of school with any of the staff unusual.

"Yeah, but he wanted to confirm you guys were here, he's not very good at keeping up with the times so when dad told him about it he had to make sure," Roxas said, pulling out the enveloped letter and telling him, "He told me to give it to the…um…crazy-ass femme," he didn't want to offend him with the coarse language, even if he knew their tongues were just as sharp.

Riku laughed a bit and took the letter from him, "That would be me. Aren't Luxord's nicknames charming?"

Roxas was surprised he knew of his teacher, "You know professor Menzel?"

"Know him? The man was one of us for years and one of the founding circies," Riku's statement only further surprised Roxas. Sure Luxord had always seemed out of place and far more bold than the rest of Twilight Town but never had he imagined he was a circie. "Don't act so surprised, you think he'd keep his job if people knew about his past?" Riku said, making a valid point.

"So why'd he leave?" he asked, very curious to hear the story.

"The circus life isn't as glamorous as you think Roxy," was all Riku said for a moment, stopping to try and figure out how to best sum it up, "We may be able to do things others can't, but there are things they are blessed with that we aren't. Family, homes, love, etc…Luxord was part of the circus since it's start, a long time before most of us, but after the late ringmaster passed he decided he'd lived his excitement and wanted to settle down. As fate had it he made this choice three years ago the last time we were here, so he severed his ties with us and introduced himself as just another face in society. We sure missed him though. Crazy bastard."

Roxas smiled but still couldn't see why anyone would want to give up this life, "He still stands out, don't worry about that."

Riku chuckled a bit and opened the envelope, pulling out a letter and reading over it. Apparently not much was written because Riku folded it back up after a moment and grinned a little. "What did he say?" Roxas asked, not meaning to be invasive but his curiosity was too great.

"Looks like three years were enough for him," Riku said vaguely, handing the letter to him to read. Roxas unfolded it and read in the sharp script handwriting:

_Dearest crazy-ass femme,_

_Normal life is swell but impossible to adjust to after everything that's happened. Damn you and your circus! Looking forward to another show and a long awaited reunion. Couldn't come back sooner could you?_

_With the most insincerity, Luxord J. Menzel_

Roxas could almost hear Luxord saying this, full of sarcasm and mock, "So he's coming back to you guys?"

"Sounds like it," Riku said making a mental note to tell everyone later.

Even if this wouldn't affect Roxas in any way he was glad that they were getting back one of their old friends, "Hey Riku, where's Axel?"

"He's not feeling well today," when Riku said this Roxas worried and apparently it showed because Riku explained further, "Don't worry Roxy; he's always like this on rainy days." That actually made quite a bit of sense, seeing as Axel was a manipulator of fire and there was so much moisture in the air.

"He's on the train if you want to go check on him," Riku told him.

"The train?" Roxas asked. While he might not have taken a good look around the area he doubted he could have missed something like a train. Rather than explain, Riku tucked the letter into his notebook and headed for the entrance, dropping the book in one of the front seats nearby. Roxas followed, opening his umbrella and able to keep the rain off them both. They walked for quite a while, not talking because it would be pointless with the noise of the rain, before finally coming to a hill.

Roxas looked down and saw a train with all sorts of drawings covering the six cars trailing behind the vibrant red engine. He hadn't the slightest idea there were even train tracks this side of town, but since the circies traveled to different worlds he imagined this must be some kind of enchanted rail line. He followed Riku down the hill but lost his footing on the wet ground and slid. Riku grabbed him by his shirt collar though and kept him from hitting the ground, catching the umbrella in the other hand.

Roxas got back to his feet and grinned embarrassedly but Riku just smiled and shook his head to let him know it was okay. When they made it to the train Riku led him to the third car and opened the door. Roxas went into the dry car and Riku followed, leaving the umbrella by the door as he turned and started down the hallway, "There are six cars to Vigor, the first two are for storage, this one and the following one are guys rooms and the next is a common area, and at the end is the girls."

"Vigor is the name of the train right?" Roxas asked, his thoughts confirmed when Riku nodded. However there was suddenly a ringing of the melody 'Topsy Turvy' and Riku pulled a phone out of his back pocket, flipping it open and addressing the caller with, "Yeah?"

There was a bit of a silence before Riku sighed, "And you didn't try to stop him?...Alright I'll be there in a minute. I want you and the others on the ground until then," he then shut the phone and looked back to Roxas, "You'll have to find your way back Roxy, Demyx is stuck."

"I'll be alright," Roxas assured him, knowing he was needed back there more than here. Riku nodded and left back through the door to the outside, pulling up his hood before leaving.

When he was gone Roxas looked around the car. It looked much bigger on the inside than on the outside, probably another enchantment. He was in the hallway now and there was a door at the front and end of the car, one leading to the outside, and three others on the other side which led to the rooms Riku had mentioned. There were windows all down the side of the train, splattered with rain though and with the curtains closed.

Roxas remembered why he was here and turned back to the doors, he wanted to check on Axel, but which one was his? Well it wasn't all that difficult to figure out. Each door had something painted on it which represented the owner. The one at the front had a top hat in black with the joker and ace of hearts playing cards tucked into the band around the base, and since he'd seen Riku wearing one identical to this on numerous occasions he assumed that was his. The one in the middle belonged to Demyx obviously, with about 20 different smiley faces painted on in all sorts of sizes and expressions.

At the last door he saw cryptic flames which looked more like shattered glass and assumed that must mean this was Axel's room. He knocked but jumped at the sharp reply, "What damn it?!" He waited a minute before deciding it might be best to leave him alone like he obviously wanted.

As he was leaving though the door opened and Axel came out dressed in long checker board sleep pant of red and black, and a black t-shirt. He looked exhausted and frustrated, but when he saw Roxas he grinned a bit, "Sorry 'bout that Roxy, didn't know it was you," he said, even sounding less like Axel today.

"It's alright, you need sleep anyway so I'll—" Roxas started but Axel shook his head, "Nah, I need a bullet to the head. This blasted weather is killing me."

"Because you're a fire person right?" Roxas wanted to confirm his theory and was pleased when he nodded, "I thought so."

"Ah well, c'mon in," he said, turning and heading back into his room. Roxas followed and his theory about the enchanted train was confirmed. It was bigger on the inside than on the outside, as Axel's room was roughly equal to the size of his own but very different in décor. The walls were red and the floors dark wood like in the halls, with three windows along the far wall and lighting built into the roof. A messy queen sized bed was pushed back to the corner with a chest at the foot. Overall the room was kept open mostly save for an armoire and dresser by the door, the top covered with trinkets and pictures. There was also a couch by the left wall that looked like it had seen better days and there was a blanket tossed over the back.

"Where were you this morning Roxy? I was getting worried," Axel whined, coughing a bit as he flopped back into bed. He listened to Roxas' explanation, interrupting with a cough every now and then but that couldn't be helped, "So Luxord's coming back. He's a good guy…You don't have to sit way over there, I'm not contagious," he said, grinning a bit at Roxas whom was sitting on the couch and very withdrawn.

Roxas smiled sheepishly and looked for another place to sit, coming and sitting beside him on the bed when Axel patted the space beside him, "God I hope this weather is over by the weekend," he sighed heavily and leaned against him. His hair unintentionally brushed against Roxas' neck and the boy laughed, causing Axel to sit back up with a grin, "Oh? What's this? Little Roxy is ticklish?"

Roxas quickly shook his head, "N-no! Ofcourse not!" he said, though the grin on Axel's face made it clear it was too late. Before he could get away Axel had grabbed him with one arm, the other tickling his side mercilessly.

He thrashed and rolled with laughter, but much to his surprise he managed to shake him off and Axel fell over and off the bed. Roxas quickly got off the bed and tried to help him up, "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Ofcourse! It's just this stupid weather," Axel said, getting back up though obviously unsteady. The rain seemed to be affecting more than his mood though, it had notably weakened his body too.

"You should be resting," Roxas said, straightening out the sheets on the bed and retrieving the pillow that had been knocked off before sitting back down beside him.

"What if I were dying?" the question made Roxas look up quickly and despite Axel's grin he was still concerned, "Shouldn't a person die happy?"

Roxas didn't answer right away and Axel lied down and looked up at him, waiting for an answer. He laughed a bit after a minute or so of nothing, "No I'm not dying, certainly feels like it though."

As relieved as he was to hear he wasn't dying Roxas still felt bad for him, "Ofcourse a person should die happy, but it's important to be happy while you're alive too," he finally answered.

Axel seemed content with that answer and nodded in agreeance, "Well since I'm not quite alive and not quite dead today I think I should be very happy. Not bored. So no, I'm not going to sleep."

Roxas smiled at his hypothesis, "You're a very difficult person, you know?"

"I'm not difficult. The rest of the world is just too easy," he said proudly before covering his mouth to cough. His chest hurt afterwards though and he rolled over onto his side with his back to Roxas, as big a mess he was he didn't want him to worry.

It was too late for that though and Roxas reached over and put his hand on his forehead, withdrawing his hand quickly though after feeling the frozen skin. "No fire, no heat," Axel explained, not sounding too bothered by the cold though. He felt the weight in the bed shift and assumed Roxas had gotten up, however didn't feel like rolling back over now that he was comfortable.

A few second later he felt the blanket on the bed pulled up over him and then heard Roxas cross to the other side of the room, covering him with the blanket that had been on the couch as well. "Did that help?" Roxas asked, getting down to eye level with him. Even if Axel wouldn't admit it he knew he was too beat to do much of anything.

"Roxy I'm not going to die, stop worrying," Axel said, coughing after he said it.

"That's not what I asked," Roxas said shortly.

Axel seemed surprised when he heard that, "Woah, Roxy, I didn't know you could talk back. Now let's see what happens if I say it didn't help?"

Roxas seemed to think about what he was supposed to do next. This was all a game to Axel and it was a little late to not play, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He took off his wet shoes and socks and crawled in beside him.

The look Axel gave him was just what he voiced, "I'm not having sex when I feel like crap." There was a long silence between the two then they both burst out laughing. The comic timing had been perfect and the look on their faces was enough to drive a dead man to laugh. Finally the laughter settled and Axel looked like he was feeling better, emotionally at least, "Seriously, what are you doing Roxy?"

"Helping to warm you up. The human body can transfer heat better and faster than blankets," Roxas told him.

"Well you're not doing any good over there," Axel pointed out the foot of a gap between them and he put his arm around Roxas' side, pulling him over next to him easily. Roxas said nothing in protest, nor did he mind. It was certainly a little surprising at first but he found the closeness nice and easily made himself comfortable against him.

Axel obviously didn't mind either, then again he was asleep in only a matter of minutes so it was difficult to read him. Roxas watched him for a while and knew he could easily slip away unnoticed but he wanted to stay like this. Axel clearly was feeling lousy and he was glad he could make him feel better…in all honesty though, he too was feeling better lying like this.

While things may have been quiet on the train the Big Top was another story. "What the hell happened?" Riku demanded upon his return, seeing the mess that had occurred in just 10 short minutes.

"Hi Riku!" Demyx said with an embarrassed grin, seeming completely oblivious to the fact he was hanging upside down with his right ankle entangled in the left wire of one of the trapeze, stopped dead center in the room but still high above the ground.

"Little brat decided to spin on it like a tire swing," Xigbar huffed, standing on the ground looking up at the fiasco, "Wound up more like Christmas lights after they've been stuffed in a box."

Larxene was also on the ground. She couldn't very well swing over to that trapeze and untie him, the laws of momentum prevented that and besides, if she got on his then it would add her weight to the constriction already on his ankle, "But unlike Christmas lights we can't just take a baseball bat to him and go out and buy a new untangled Demyx."

"We could just take a bat to him anyway," suggested another voice and Riku took notice of Vexen, a rather feminine looking man whom was also a member of the circus. While Vexen was solely responsible for the tech work, such as lights, enchantment of the instruments, and keeping track of revenue, he still played a significant role in the circus. Only problem was… "Certainly would be for the best to put him out of my misery," Vexen had a superiority complex.

"Thank you for your input Vexen but Larxene is right," Riku said, looking back up to Demyx and trying to decide what to do, "…Xigbar I want you to—" but his thought was stopped short when he heard a sharp and panicked voice.

"Riku!"

"Not now Kairi," he said, ignoring her entrance and continuing to Xigbar, "Go get Lexaeus, tell him—"

"Riku I really need to—" Kairi had run over to the group, soaking wet short of breath.

"I said not—" but she would not be silenced. "I'm pregnant!" As soon as she said it everything fell to a dead quiet, everyone looking at her, soaking wet and white as a ghost, then they looked to Riku whom was a similar color. Without a word he grabbed her arm and led her back out of the tent, leaving the four remaining circies dead silent.

Since the rain would hide his voice Riku didn't bother with any mask to his tone, "What did you just say?" he demanded, more shocked than any of them, possibly even Kairi herself.

"What am I going to do?" she sobbed, throwing her arms around him and crying into his shoulder.

"How about you calm down for starters," he said, grabbing her shoulders and prying her off of him, "Who?" he asked shortly, staring her down with a sharp glint of ire in his eyes.

"I…I don't know," she said shakily, looking down in shame, "Riku what am I going to do?"

He let go of her and headed back towards the entrance, "Why ask me?"

"Because this is your fault," she called after him, making him stop, "You got me into this circus mess, remember?"

That he wouldn't believe anymore though and he turned back to her, "Me? I don't even know you. Three years ago I got someone into this 'circus mess' but it turned out that person didn't exist."

She stood there in silence for a moment, absorbing the words with apprehension, "…Riku?" she knew very well what he was talking about but hadn't realized what kind of affect it had on him.

"Listen you're welcome to stay, but don't blame me for a mess you made," he said solemnly before turning and heading back inside. Once out of the rain he sighed and leaned against the wall of the bleachers nearby, taking out a cigarette with a sigh and bringing it to his lips. He reminded himself of Sora's reasoning, assuring him that this was the right thing to do; he wouldn't be burdened with unnecessary guilt.

He took out his lighter and clicked it open, but before he could light his cigarette he caught sight of the intent stares from the other circies waiting still without a world, "Ofcourse it's not mine," he answered, knowing exactly what they were thinking. That was obvious since he and Kairi hadn't had sex together after he learned the truth about her three years ago. There seemed to be lessen in the unease upon hearing that and he lit the tip of the cigarette before coming over to Xigbar and taking away his gun.

"…As if we weren't in a big enough mess already," he sighed, staring at it for a moment. As if Xigbar had read the thought that crossed his mind, he took hold of the wrist he was holding the gun in and stared gravely at him. His eyes came back into focus and he let go of the gun, sighing and sitting down on the ground, "You can let go, I won't shoot myself."

Larxene sat down beside him and patted him on the head, "Better not, I'd hate to have to be the one to clean up the mess you'd leave behind."

He couldn't help but laugh at her crude humor, "Thank you for your moving concern. Now if you don't mind go get Lexaeus, he'll have to catch Demyx when Xigbar shoots that trapeze down."

Larxene nodded and stood up, heading off to find the great ape. Xigbar however still hadn't let go of Riku's wrist, "You gonna be alright brat?"

Riku laughed a bit before bringing the cigarette back to his lips, "Aw, Xigbar does have a heart," he said. They all knew that Xigbar kept a close eye on them, and when it came down to it he could be serious, even though he would never admit it, "Yeah, I'm fine…" After he'd said it Xigbar let go of his wrist and retrieved his gun, though he obviously didn't trust Riku enough to leave.

'…_Sora was right…After all, this is my life. I can't spend it feeling guilty about something that isn't my fault,' _he told himself, though he was worried about Kairi. The girl was with child and whilst they were her family and wouldn't turn her away, nothing like this ever happened and lets face it: nobody expected it either.

"I'm guessing' you finally told her off?" Xigbar asked, laughing a bit when he nodded, "Women are strange."

"Deceitful snakes in the grass, but that's the way they were made I suppose," Riku sighed, tapping off the end of his cigarette while blowing out a trail of smoke, "Problem is, what do we do now?"

Xigbar patted him on the head, "See, this is why I'm glad I'm not in charge."

Hours passed and the rain ceased to respite, meaning Axel's immune system was still null and when he woke up he still felt just as ill. Roxas woke up when he sat up and he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "It's still raining," he said forlornly.

"Sucks doesn't it?" Axel said with a sigh, putting his feet on the ground and getting up. Roxas sat up and watched him go over to the dresser, rummaging through the mess on top of it. For a moment his search seemed in vain and Roxas noticed a stack of photos get knocked off. When it was obvious Axel hadn't noticed them he got up and went to pick them up. However, when he caught sight of the first picture he smiled and laughed a bit, "Had some trouble?"

Axel looked over to see what he was talking about and laughed. The picture displayed a snowy world and Demyx, Riku, and Axel himself were in the shot. Demyx and Riku appeared to have been in the process of constructing a snow man and Axel's hand was on his head…well actually it had sunk down into the middle, "They asked me to help, and the best way to help that thing would be to put it out of it's misery," he explained, causing Roxas to laugh more.

He flipped to the next picture and found his laughter uncontrollable. In this shot was Xigbar, sleeping soundly with a mess of whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, a cherry, and two plastic spoons on his face. "He was so pissed after that," Axel said, chuckling at the fond memory. After a few more memories Axel forgot whatever it was he'd been looking for and sat on the floor, slouched against the couch with Roxas sitting on the seat behind his head, still entertained by the pictures.

Roxas was saddened when he saw the first picture again and realized the stories were merely memories, none of which were his. "Hey, I'm hungry, what about you?" Axel asked, standing back up with some effort.

Since he'd missed breakfast in his run to meet Luxord, Roxas really was but hadn't realized it until Axel had brought it up. So he nodded and got up to follow after him out of the room, through the next car and into the common area Riku had mentioned to him earlier when he arrived. Like Axel's room, this car was significantly larger than it appeared on the outside. The whole car was open save for a small wall sectioning off the kitchen. The walls were painted like they were a giant puzzle, each piece a different color and the carpet was a fuzzy black. There was a rounded red couch in the center around a circular fire place, the vent went up through the ceiling but the majority of the flame was left to the open, a mess of pillows were piled high in the corner ranging in all shapes and sizes, and there was a bar in the far corner across from the kitchen.

While Axel headed for food, Roxas spent his time looking around the room. One thing he found the most interesting was on the ceiling, it was covered in posters and pictures of their circus. Captured moments of dazzle and magic covered every inch of the ceiling. "We ran out of space after the last world, not sure where we're gonna put the next batch," Axel said, noticing his stare and explaining their significance, "See that poster in the corner? It's from the very first show this circus every put on, almost 13 years ago."

Roxas went over to get a better look at the poster. It was an advertisement for the circus, worn with age and surrounding it were many different pictures of various acts, "Hey, is that Xigbar?" he asked, vaguely recognizing the marksman.

"Good eye Roxy. Yeah, Xigbar and our late ringmaster were good buds. Luxord's there too," Axel told him. It took a moment to find him but Roxas recognized his former teacher, still with ears full of piercings but his hair was a little longer and spiked up. "For every show you do you get a picture," Axel said, "Sort of like a reminder of what we are now. You know what I mean?"

Roxas shook his head and looked over at him with confusion, "What you are now?"

"Well we weren't always circies Roxy. Your mum ever put together a baby book for you? Well this is our baby book, since we're essentially starting new," he explained while digging through a cabinet in the kitchen.

Roxas didn't answer to the question about his mother, but instead nodded and looked back up to the ceiling and followed the timeline, "So what was the old Axel like?"

"A burnout jackass bum," he said casually.

"I asked about the old one," Roxas said, smiling a bit.

Axel got up and leaned over the counter-like wall, "Roxy made a burn, should I fear the apocalypse?"

Roxas stuck his tongue out childishly to which Axel mimicked, "Finish high school?" he asked, wondering if maybe he could learn more.

"Dropped out halfway through 10th grade," Axel answered, ducking back behind the counter to dig through another cabinet, "Hated school, hated my family, and being a pyro was getting me into some serious crap."

"So you were only like 15? What did you do then?" Roxas came over to the kitchen and leaned onto the counter, highly interested now.

"I got kicked out of my house and went to a bar to kill myself," he answered simply, looking up when he heard Roxas gasp, "Don't sound so shocked. I told you I was a burnout jackass bum." He actually seemed quite sedate on his past, but Roxas found it difficult to see him as the person he was describing.

"I know but…" it was clear Roxas was shocked and couldn't piece together what he wanted to say.

"Don't worry I didn't kill myself," Axel said, stating the obvious, "As fate had it the circies were in the bar that night and stopped me. I ended up burning down the bar as a side result but it was a lesson learned and they helped me get back on my feet. Adopted an individuality I didn't know I had and never looked back."

Roxas leaned further over so he could see him, noticing that he didn't seem phased when he spoke about a hellish past and he wondered, "Ever regret choosing the circie life though?"

He didn't answer right away but he stopped rummaging and seemed to ponder that for a moment, "Ofcourse not…I mean it's hard to miss a life if you never had one," he said smirking a bit and pulling out a box of Chez-Itz.

"Sounds like you went from two different extremes," Roxas said, moving over when Axel climbed up and sat on the counter.

"You have no idea Roxy," he sighed, untying the bag and pulling out a handful for himself before passing him the box.

Roxas took it and popped two into his mouth, tapping one finger on the box as he contemplated another question. Finally he swallowed his nerves (and Chez-Itz) and opened his mouth to say something, however Axel said it for him, "You're about to ask if going from extreme to extreme means you can leave your extreme for this one."

Roxas looked at him in shock, but Axel merely laughed and took the box from him, "You're pretty easy to read Roxy."

He smiled a little and leaned over the counter, folding his arms and resting his chin on his hands, "Well what do you think about it?"

"I think you're crazy. You're a lucky kid Roxy, the circus would be an uber downgrade," Axel said, munching on the crackers.

"Lucky? Alright, you want to hear my story?" Roxas said, standing back up and looking him in the face. He was tired of being told how lucky he was and how much he had, what did it matter if he wasn't happy?

"Seems only fair since I just spilt my guts," Axel said, not seeming direly interested though.

And as if he'd opened the flood gates, Roxas went on a tangent of force, "People expect things from me that I can't do and not once do they think there's any more to me than that precious little future they've already decided for me. My brother is Mr. Perfect, my father is an ambassador, and my mother is dead, so just what does that leave me? Nothing!"

Axel heard him out though he was surprised he'd kept something like that bottled up. Roxas was quiet after his rant then leaned back over the counter and put his head on his hands, staring dazedly at nothing in particular, just absorbing what he'd said. "Actually it leaves you quite a lot; you're just taking life to seriously. World is your crawdad if you get your chin up and look at it the right way."

"Easy for you to say," he mumbled.

"Sheesh Roxy," Axel sighed, reaching down and flicking him on the head, "So you family is…unique. It just means you've got to be more unique than they are. World's not gonna open up until you try to find the key." And almost if he knew what he was going to ask, Axel added, "And you have to get more unique without joining the circus. The next time you ask if you can join us I'm not going to have some nice words of wisdom."

Roxas smiled a little, nodding as he accepted Axel's point. Three times now his question had been shot down, so he doubted the chance of ever joining them. He'd just have to be unique like Axel told him, unique in his own way and find the 'key to open up the world' as he said.

Until then though… "Axel can I join the circus?" he asked with a grin, just to annoy him. Axel however was serious about what he'd just said and rather than give his words of wisdom he threw a handful of Chez-Itz at him.

* * *

hiding behind a cactus …well? I know some of you are probably spazing over Kairi's big announcement, but don't feel alone because so am I! Fear not though for I know what I am doing...hopefully. Whilst I have put my own twist into each character I am trying to keep from mutating the nature that makes them them. Still no 'yay' or 'nay' on side pairings but have patience. Remember the story genre is humor/romance not lust/sex. 

Again a million thank yous to everyone and a million more to those who took the time to review! I love you all! I'll do my best to have a new chapter up by this time next week, but since I don't know what kind of mess and chaos awaits me between now and then I can't give any promises. Until then my lovelies please please PLEASE review and tell me what you thought of it!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	6. Card Tricks and Gambles

I am soooooo uber sorry I haven't updated in over a week! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, you are all wonderful and I apologize profusely for keeping you at bay. I must admit to a cruel case of writer's block, despite my desires to finish two chapters over Thanksgiving break. I seriously just finished this an hour ago (needed tweak time after that) I do believe this lousy weather is to blame for the delay -.- curse the rainy season! Don't get me wrong, I love the rain, it's just when you get week after week of it the rain becomes a nuisance! I will not keep you from the chapter you've waited for any longer . So now I am pleased to present to you, chapter six! Enjoy!

**(UPDATE: I finally got around to naming the chapters! They're the same as the ones you've read, just with cheesy little names I've been thinking over. It's possible they'll be renamed now and then, but that's me, I'm bad at making easy decisions XD And worse at sticking with those decisions!)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"It's late…"

When there was no response Axel opened one eye and looked over at the blond next to him. His eyes were shut and he was lying on his back, breathing slowly in a sound sleep. While he was unsure of the exact time he imagined it must be late, or very early. The room was pitch black from the night's blanket save for a few streaks of moon light that bled through the curtained windows, and the fire he'd started in the circular fire place had long since burnt out and left no traces of what had been there.

The rain had stopped and he was beginning to feel better as the moisture in the air faded. However… "…Roxy? You awake?" after goofing off for the majority of the afternoon they'd fallen asleep on the mess of many different pillows. Again there was no answer to his question and there was only one thing to do: nothing. He wasn't going to worry about getting Roxas home this evening, or morning; whichever it was. The boy was sound asleep and it would be a crime to wake him up.

With that in mind Axel shut his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep. Several minutes passed but he couldn't and he sighed in sheer annoyance, "This is all your fault Roxy. Thanks to you my mental clock is all messed up," he said, even if it wasn't loud enough to wake him up.

"So what can I do now?" he asked while drumming his fingers on the pillow. With nothing else to do he continued voicing his thoughts, "Could read the complete works of Shakespeare, or maybe compose an timeless piece of music while training turtles to bob for apples, then again that—" he was silenced though when Roxas mumbled and rolled over against him, curling up comfortably in his sleepy daze.

"Axel…shut up…" he mumbled in a distinct yet barely audible tone.

Axel heard him and did his best not to laugh and wake him up. He stifled his laughs and put his chin on his head and, grinning just a little before saying, "Alright, stay the night. But if your dad gets pissy you take the blame for it." And shortly there after he drifted off to sleep, content and comfortable.

However, not all the circies were sleeping soundly at this late hour. Now, well past midnight, Riku had been in Sora's room for nearly two hours already. "That's four, ready to give up?" Sora asked from where he was sitting on his bed, leaned back against the wall.

"Ofcourse not. The night's still young," Riku answered from the floor where he was lying, "How many are left?"

"Thirteen," Sora answered, laughing a bit as he got a sigh of annoyance in response, "I told you that you didn't have to."

"Yeah I know, but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen," Riku said as he sat up. Like he'd said he was going to prove all the rumors Sora had been told about them wrong, though he hadn't realized how hard it was going to be, "Alright what's next."

"Riku seriously forget it," Sora said, flopping over tiredly onto his side, "It's late. Go home, or back to the circus, or whatever you call it."

"I like to think of it as a big orgy of talent and originality," Riku said, making Sora laugh a bit, "Come on, one more. Do my conscience a little more good."

"I really don't care about you or your conscience Riku, so please just go back to your 'big orgy of talent and originality,' and let me sleep. If this means so much to you then come back tomorrow," Sora said. While he had to admit he'd enjoyed the past few hours he was tired and still couldn't see why Riku was determined to make amends to him.

There was no answer but he heard him get up and cross, not to the door, but to the balcony, "What are you doing?" he asked, not bothering to get up.

"Proving you wrong," Riku said, opening the doors and going out onto the balcony. He climbed up onto the railing of the balcony and stood there evenly balanced though far from safe.

"Get down from there!" Sora said, quickly getting up and running over to the doors. But, halfway out the door Riku fell backwards off the balcony, "Riku!" he yelled, leaning over the railing in a sheer state of panic. He yelled again in shock when he leaned over and was face to face with Riku, grinning like a cat, "See?" he said calmly. He'd indeed fallen back but landed crouched down on the ledge of the balcony.

Sora recoiled quickly but fell onto his backside, "What the hell did you do that for?!" Sora demanded, heart beating frantically.

Riku stood back up and came over the railing to the balcony, "You said you didn't care about me, if that was true then why did you act like that?" he asked, holding a hand down to help him up.

"Jerk! You tricked me," Sora snapped, still upset with what had just happened and he swatted Riku's hand away and stomped back inside.

Riku followed him with the same grin, "And now for my next trick, I will make myself disappear," he said, grabbing the blanket from the bed and pulling it over him.

Sora was not ready for anymore of his tricks and grabbed onto it, "Stop goofing…off," his voice trailed off when he pulled the sheet away and saw Riku was gone. He looked around but couldn't find him and was puzzled, "…Riku?"

"Hm?"

Sora jumped and turned back around, face to face with Riku, "How did you…" he was quite stunned and at a loss of words. He shook his head though with a sigh, sitting back down on the bed, "Fine, you win."

"Aw, you do care," Riku said with a smirk, sitting on the floor and tossing the blanket back onto the bed beside Sora, "And I'm not leaving."

Sora quirked an eyebrow and gave him a puzzled look, "Alright then, what's it going to take?"

Riku didn't think twice about his request, "Come see the show this Saturday night."

"Is that it?" Sora asked.

"I promise it will be worth your evening and it will also clear up all those wretched rumors," Riku told him.

Sora seemed to consider it for a minute then asked one more question, "And if it isn't?"

As if he'd been expecting this question, Riku replied, "I'll clear every rumor left over ten-fold."

Sora grinned and put a hand on his head, pushing him away in play, "Fine. Just get out of my room, and take the front door, not the balcony." He watched him get up and leave, chuckling a bit to himself when the door was closed, "…What an interesting person you are."

In what felt like only a matter of minutes after falling asleep, Axel was awoken to a loud banging from the cars ahead. He sat up quickly, scowling at the bright sunlight flooding the room and wishing he'd just stayed asleep.

He was about to get up and go find the source of the banging but laughed a bit and shook his head when he heard a familiar voice, "Wake up circies!"

Roxas stirred and started to wake up too, rubbing his right eye tiredly, "…Was that professor Menzel?" he asked, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. When he realized the sun was up and he was still on the train he worried a little, but Axel patted him on the head as if to tell him to calm down.

Sure enough he was right and Luxord was coming down the hall, banging on every door as he passed it. When he got to the common car and saw the two of them he stopped and cocked his head, "What are you doing here R—" but he didn't get to finish his question as the next instant he was tackled flat to the ground by a very tired, yet equally annoyed, Riku, "Would you like to die now?"

This was the day that Roxas learned something important: the circies were not morning people.

Demyx came in behind him though looked a lot less mad, in fact he looked almost zombie-like as he came in dragging his feet tiredly with his hair a mess. He went right past them and to one of the couches without a word, flopping down on his stomach without as much as a word.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Luxord asked with a grin before Riku put a hand on the back of his head and pushed his face into the carpet.

"Be seen, not heard," he replied, ignoring the fact he was suffocating him.

Xigbar stopped Riku though when he grabbed him by his hair and pulled him to his feet, "Hey, don't kill him, he hasn't even been back for 5 minutes so he's not fair game just yet." Luxord got back up to his feet and Xigbar hugged him tight enough that his back popped five times, "Pull another dumbass thing like that again though and you're fried."

Luxord merely laughed, wheezing a bit due to the constriction, "I'll keep that in mind." After that Xigbar let go and Luxord rubbed his back and straightened himself out, "Don't I at least get a 'welcome home?'"

"Welcome home," Demyx mumbled in his dazed sleepy state.

"Gave up on normality pretty fast, don't you think?" Axel asked, stretching his arms up with a yawn.

"No, for you see I'd have to find normality before I could give up on it," Luxord said, crossing to the couch and sitting on Demyx's back. Roxas was surprised at how easily he'd made himself comfortable, then again he had been one of the founding circies and spent 10 years with the circus before attempting life in this world.

"Didn't you wake Lexaeus, Vexen, and Marluxia?" Riku asked, wondering why the three hadn't surfaced to chew off the heads of those who had awakened them.

"I was going to but decided not to risk incurring the wrath of men with PMS," Luxord said with a bit of a laugh then looked over to Riku, "Made an exception for you though."

"Watch it. We don't _have_ to take you back," Axel warned him, even if they all knew Luxord had already been taken back.

"I'll keep that in mind," Luxord said, looking back to Axel and Roxas again, "But what are you doing here Roxas?" When he asked it they all took notice of him and seemed to wake up a little more.

"His name is Roxy," Axel answered, patting him on the head.

"And it looks to me like he's sitting on pillow," Xigbar added, stating the obvious. Roxas was glad to know the circies didn't appear to be put off by the fact he'd stayed over, just a little more aware.

"Ah how I've missed Captain Obvious," Luxord said sarcastically.

"If we knew you were coming back today we'd have set up a few traps," Riku said while crossing over to the kitchen in search of breakfast.

"What's all the noise?" Larxene asked as she opened the door leading to the girls car and came in, followed by Kairi. Roxas was actually surprised that they didn't seem mad at all, especially after he'd heard about the rage of a woman being strongest in the morning.

"Larxene!" Luxord exclaimed, getting up with a grin and opening his arms. She smiled and ran up to him, leaping into a hug and clearly delighted to see him. When he put her down though she went from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde and socked him right in the face, "You jerk! We missed you!" she snapped but then smiled again and hugged him.

"Welcome back Luxord," Kairi said, though with not as much as zeal as the others. While they had known him for years she'd only known him for a week or so from their first time in Twilight Town.

Luxord merely nodded to her and Roxas wondered if there was some tension between them that he was unaware of. "I'm pleased to let you know that the town is abuzz with talk of Saturday's show. The church is trying to silence their interest but fortunately they're sticking with their own desires on this one," he announced while sitting back down on Demyx, who huffed with the sudden weight on his back.

"Sounds like your dad saved us Roxy," Axel said, ruffling a hand through his hair. Roxas smiled embarrassedly, he was glad he'd been able to help them.

"How do we know you aren't lying again?" Xigbar asked, coming over to the couch and leaning over the back next to him.

Luxord laughed a bit, "Tell you what, we'll gamble for it." When he said this there we're many sighs and rolling eyes, and Roxas assumed Luxord was as notorious for gambling with the circies as he was in Twilight Town. "Take any number and double it, then I'll guess whether it's odd or even. If I'm right then I'm telling the truth, if I'm wrong you get to shoot me."

"Pretty steep bet don't you think?" Xigbar said, surprised by the odds.

Luxord however grinned, "Scared?"

"You wish," snorted Xigbar, standing up and thinking for a moment about his number, "Alright. Go."

"Even," Luxord said without even thinking about it.

After taking a few seconds to double his number Xigbar growled and crossed his arms, a sure sign that he'd lost.

Riku had been listening and realized something, "Think Xigbar. Any number doubled is even." As Xigbar sulked from his loss Riku came back out of the kitchen with a box of Teddy Grahams and sat on the back of the couch Indian-style, "We'll play my way. Heads you're right, tails you kiss Xigbar."

"What the hell?! Leave me out of this!" Xigbar ordered, quickly turning back on them.

The two ignored his anger though and Luxord laughed with amusement, "A real risk," and without hesitation he pulled a coin from his pocket and flipped it, "Let's play." But just as the coin spun to it's highest point Xigbar's hand reached out and grabbed it and looked at it, "Heads," he said, stuffing it into his pocket before they could see.

They watched him storm off down the hall before laughing at his antics, "Think we got under his skin?" Riku asked while opening the box of Teddy Grahams.

"Maybe a little," Luxord said, reaching up and helping himself to a handful, "So, is there room for me in Saturday's show?"

"Been out of the act for three years, aren't you rusty?" Axel asked.

Luxord merely laughed and looked over to them, "Roxas, come here."

Roxas started to get up but Axel held onto the back of his shirt to keep him seated. He gave him a questioning look but Axel merely smiled and patted him on the head before looking back to Luxord.

"Oh, down Axel, down," Luxord said, rolling his eyes and biting off the head of one of the Teddy Grahams, "Fine, I'll just have to pick another target." He stood up and drew a deck of cards from out of his sleeve, and shuffled them once before taking both hands off of them and they continued to shuffle themselves right in front of him with no visible assistance. Then he waved a hand over them and they spread out in a straight line, each card with it's own respective space. Another wave of the hand and they all flipped over, one by one to reveal a number, a shape, and a color. However the last card was blank, card number 53 in a deck of 52.

Roxas was highly amazed at the magic though the others seemed to take this as a common event. Luxord remained composed and reached out to take the blank card, spinning it effortlessly on his middle finger. It slowed to a stop and the next instant Roxas felt Axel's hand leave his head and when he looked over to see why he yelped at the discovery: he was gone.

"Looking for someone?" Luxord asked. Roxas looked back over to him and saw that the card he was holding up, which had once been blank, now displayed Axel.

"Well, guess you've still got it," Larxene said, with complimentary applause.

"Indeed," Luxord said, though when he saw the alarmed look on Roxas' face he decided to have a little fun, "Too bad I can't remember how to get him back out…"

Roxas quickly turned his attention to her and looked around to the others as if waiting for them to tell him it was a joke but they were all straight in face and he looked back to Luxord just in time to see him rip the card straight down the middle, "No!" he said, getting up and running over to catch the two card pieces as he dropped them. When he looked at them though he realized something: it wasn't Axel who was on the card, it was the two of spades.

Luxord had released Axel back to where he had been sitting just before Roxas dove for the card and when he saw what happened he immediately stood up and came over to help him up. Unlike the others, he knew Roxas still took things seriously and was not in the least accustomed to their humor or lifestyle.

When Roxas saw Axel he looked to Luxord, Larxene, and the others without a word, realizing this had all just been a joke to them. While he knew it was meant to be funny, and they assumed it had been, he was far from amused. As soon as he was back on his feet he headed for the door without a word. "Roxy," Axel called after him but he didn't stop. He didn't hesitate to get up and follow after him, leaving the remaining circies in silence.

"What's with them?" Larxene asked, not seeing anything wrong with what they'd done.

"While we may not be scum from the fiery pits of Hades, there is still something about us that keeps different from the souls here in Twilight Town. Roxy however doesn't seem to fit into either category," Riku said thoughtfully after watching the two disappear from the car.

"Oh, so deep Confucius," Larxene said, though she saw what he meant.

"But why's Axel acting like he is?" Demyx asked as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"If you remember correctly, our little Axel was in a similar predicament when we met him. It's possible he pities him," Luxord suggested before picking up the torn card which instantly repaired itself and returned to the deck in his hand.

"I think you're wrong... Axel doesn't pity," Riku told them, pondering what exactly was going on.

"Roxy!" Axel had followed him off the train and caught up with him when he stopped to shake the water off of the umbrella he'd left outside yesterday, "Roxy hold up." Roxas stopped but didn't look at him. "Listen, what happened back there… just… ah…" it was more than obvious Axel wasn't sure what to do. He knew in the back of his head it had been cruel humor to him but the others hadn't meant it to hurt him.

"It's okay, I'm just going to go home," Roxas told him before starting back up the hill.

Axel watched him go for a minute before calling after him, "Didn't we just talk last night about taking things too seriously?" Roxas didn't respond, nor did he turn back. "It was a joke Roxy. Sure they poked a little fun but it was meant to be laughed at." But Roxas was already walking away and he didn't get a reply.

"What's wrong with me?!" Roxas asked himself once locked in his room. He'd been arguing with himself the whole walk home, hating what he'd done but every time he considered going back he thought of what a fool he'd look like.

"Why didn't I just…" he sighed in frustration at the loss of words and flopped back onto bed, staring at the ceiling before asking, "And why did I…take it so seriously?" he thought back to when Luxord had ripped the card and he ran over to catch the pieces, "It's not like they'd actually do that to him."

For a while he just stared at the ceiling, replaying what happened. One thing stood out the most though: when he thought Axel had been destroyed he'd acted so hastily. Now this was somewhat expected, they had become good friends but even so he didn't think he would have felt himself being torn apart, "…He's okay though…" he told himself, rolling over to face the wall, "Probably won't talk to me for a while though…" While he may have just woken up an hour ago, he was feeling oddly glum and he found the only relief in sleep.

"_You're Roxy! It's unique and completely yours!"_

"_You're supposed to say 'absotivly posolutly!'"_

"_Don't worry. I won't let you fall Roxy."_

"_I think it's a good thing to be comfortable in any situation."_

"_Ofcourse I'm right! I'm Axel the great!"_

"_Always remember to look up Roxy."_

"_Nervous or cold Roxy?"_

"_You're a good kid Roxy. Don't forget that."_

"Roxy?"

Roxas mumbled distortedly as he was shaken from his dream, pushing the hand off of his shoulder. "Roxy." He vaguely heard the voice and started to wake up to his surroundings, which were now very dark as the evening set in. Imagine his surprise when he saw it was Axel who had waken him up, "You awake Roxy?" he asked.

Roxas rolled over and sat up groggily, "No," he said sarcastically though confused as to why Axel was here.

"Good. Listen we're sorry," he said, jumping straight to the subject, "It was a joke and we didn't mean to worry you."

"I wasn't worried," Roxas quickly replied, he'd woken up much more when he heard the apology.

Axel smirked a bit, "Really?"

Roxas knew Axel could see through his lie but didn't falter, "Ofcourse." As his senses woke up he noticed that his shoulder was wet from where Axel had shaken him and he could hear the noise of a light rain hitting the ground outside, "Axel…did you walk here?" he asked, though his question was answered when he saw the wet foot prints coming from his window to where he was standing, dripping wet.

"Ofcourse not. I ran," Axel said with a laugh even though he clearly wasn't feeling well, "What say Roxy? Forgive us?"

"Everyone but you," he replied shortly, getting up and going past him to the bathroom, "I can't believe you came out in this weather, what were you thinking?" he asked while opening a cabinet and pulling out a few towels.

"We had to apologize Roxy," Axel answered before shaking his head to get some of the water off, much like a dog.

Roxas returned and tossed one of the towels over his wet head and handed him another, "Then one of the others could have come, Riku, Xigbar, anyone."

"Luxord was going to come but I told him I wanted to," Axel explained, far more calm than Roxas.

Roxas didn't say anything for a moment, surprised by his words, "…Well if you wanted to come then you should have before the weather went bad," he insisted.

"Would have but your dad came by shortly after you left and was looking for you. We told him you were on your way home so he decided he wanted to watch a preview of our show. Not like we could say no, it's suicide if you don't keep your sponsors happy," Axel said as he dried himself off, "He just left about an hour ago for a board meeting or something."

His story held logic, especially since his father had been fussing this meeting and it's importance for weeks. Now that he knew the full story, Roxas was somewhat flattered by his actions…but, "I still can't believe you came out in this weather!"

Axel laughed at his clear frustration and tossed the wet towel to him, "What? Aren't you happy to see me?"

Roxas caught it and smiled a bit, realizing this was Axel and he couldn't stay mad, "Yes, but I'll be happier when you get dry," he said. He realized though his clothes wouldn't dry as quick or easily as flesh and he'd still be cold so he decided what he had to do, "Give me your clothes."

Axel sighed and shook his finger at him, "I told you Roxy, no sex when I feel like crap."

Roxas laughed a bit and swatted his hand away, "You'll freeze to death if you don't get out of those wet clothes and warm up. Give them to me and I'll go put them in the dryer while you get a hot shower."

"Why get dry if I'm just heading back out into the rain?" Axel pointed out, "Unless ofcourse that was an indirect invitation to stay, in which case I accept." Before Roxas could confirm the invitation Axel was already on his way to the bathroom and pulling off his shirt in the process, "No peepsies Roxy," he said without looking back.

Some people would think he was being taken advantage of, but Roxas knew better. This was Axel after all. He waited for a few minutes after the shower started running before opening the door, immediately meeting a cloud of steam and it was obvious Axel had completely ignored the cold tap. Roxas gathered up the wet clothes and glanced at the opaque white shower curtain, smiling a bit as he was almost able to hear Axel say: no peepsies Roxy. He shook his head and left, closing the door behind him.

For the next 5 minutes Roxas sat on his bed reading through the _At the Moment _the local paper here in Twilight Town. He'd been sleeping all day so he hadn't had time to catch up on what had happened, "Same boring paper, same boring stories," he said with a sigh before reaching over to pick up his cup of hot chocolate.

He stopped when it was at his lips though when he heard the shower stop. He honestly hadn't expected Axel to shower so quickly, especially since he usually spent 15 minutes in one himself on a rushed day. It would take another 30 minutes or so for the dryer downstairs to be finished so Roxas quickly looked around for something to substitute until then…this would be difficult since Axel was nearly a foot taller than.

In the midst of digging through his closet for any oversized garment, Roxas heard the bathroom door open and when he tried to back out he fell off the stool he was on and landed back in the corner, caught uncomfortably between a crate and the wall.

Axel heard the crash and easily realized where Roxas was, poking his head inside the closet doors and laughing at the sight of Roxas' feet up over a crate, pinned against the wall, "Having a little trouble?"

Roxas was relieved to see he was clothed in his white robe, the sleeves above his wrists and he imagined the base was above his knees, "I was just looking for something that would fit you," he said, imagining they both looked rather humorous.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" Axel asked with an over dramatic gasp. They both couldn't help but laugh and just when Roxas was starting to recompose Axel reached a hand down to help him up, "Come on Roxy, time to come out of the closet." He easily pulled the giggling Roxas out and ruffled a hand through his hair.

Roxas batted his hand away, trying to calm himself down, "You have unmatched comic timing Axel."

"I know, aren't I great?" Axel sighed with a grin. He was clearly feeling better now that he was warm and dry, and Roxas noticed he'd also found the white sleep pants in the bathroom closet and was wearing them now; humorously only reaching a few inches below his knees.

"You look ridiculous," Roxas said once he got a good look of him, "I think you'd stand out more in these than your usual attire."

"Think so? Maybe I should waltz out of here right now like this," Axel said, heading for the door.

"No, no, no!" Roxas hurried after him and grabbed him by the arm, "You'll be the laughing stock of the century!"

"Let's make it more entertaining then! You put on my clothes and we'll be polar opposites!" Axel cheered, grabbing his other arm and pulling him back. Since they were both pulling on the other's arm and Axel was stronger they ended up falling back towards the door, Axel landing on his backside and Roxas on his knees.

"At least we'll have matching bruises," Roxas whined, rolling back to sit on the floor and rub his sore knees.

"Aw, poor little Roxas… fragile and ticklish," Axel's grin said it all and Roxas quickly tried to back away, but since Axel was feeling better he couldn't get away. Roxas struggled and tried to push him away but it was pointless, and all he could do was laugh. He could only handle the torture for so long though, "Uncle! Uncle! Axel stop!" he said quickly, barely able to get it out between laughs. Axel didn't stop though until Roxas, during his struggling, accidentally kneed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Roxas heard his wheeze and felt the cease of the tickle attack, realizing what he'd done, "I'm sor…" he stopped his apology when he remembered what he'd been told about taking things less seriously.

"Good boy Roxy," Axel huffed, though his dramatic antics took over again and he flopped straight down onto him, "You killed me," he said, going limp instantly.

Roxas laughed and tried to push him off but Axel was making sure to keep him down, "Off of me dead man!"

"Oh that hurts, name calling is mean Roxy," Axel said, sitting up a bit and flicking him on the nose.

"Well isn't 'Roxy' name calling?" Roxas pointed out.

Axel contemplated that for a moment before saying, "Yes but I'm allowed to call you that. It fits."

"Hypocrite," Roxas said, finally giving up his struggle.

"There you go name calling again," Axel said as he rolled off of him…but not before taking Roxas by shock with a kiss on the cheek. He sat up and looked at Axel, his expression saying it all, "What was that for?"

Axel grinned and ruffled a hand through his blond hair, "Because I felt like it. If it bothers you though I'll take it back."

For a minute Roxas said nothing but then he shook his head and smiled, "It's fine with me," he said before lying back down beside him, far more content to lie like this than in his bed just a few feet away.

* * *

Whew! Finally finished this chapter, and let me just say it has been the most difficult to write. I again apologize for taking so much time but the only person to blame is the evil writer's block monkey and the rainy season too ofcourse(that seems to be a west coast thing though I'm learning). More Axel/Roxas action and…what's this? A kiss? Too soon? I think not! Yeah there was some Riku/Sora in there but who's to say if it's a pairing or not? Oh that's right, ME! Haha! Let your minds wander as they please, the truth will be revealed soon. Until then though I ask you to review and tell me what you thought. I think I need reviews most now because of the sheer drain I was writing most of this in, and I will be very grateful for every one of them! I'll do my very best to have another chapter done by this time next week, and fortunately the cogs in my brain are already turning and I'm sure of what to do for the next chapter! Until then I wish you all the best! 

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

P.S: Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone!


	7. Nightlife

Good evening to you all, and welcome to another brand new chapter! It has been a week and as promised here it is . I confess: this one is shorter than any other I've wrote but I was hesitant to add more because everything I have planned next needs to come all together and not split by chapters. I have been quite busy and this seemed to fabricate by itself while I was doing three other things XD I have three auditions over the next week and a Senior project to get to work on (Despite my only being a Junior. Curse AP English) and with my plans for the next chapter I can't very well guarantee a new chapter by Sunday but I certainly will try! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and a million more thank yous to those who took the time to review! I love you all! And now, without further ado…Chapter 7.

(One little sidenote! Due to a brilliant suggestion I have put a break between each major transition of view so things are easier to follow!)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Nightlife**

Getting to bed at a decent hour seemed to be an impossible task since his arrival in Twilight Town, more so now. Riku was sitting in the big top in one of the box seats by the entrance, drumming his fingers on his knee absent mindedly. It was very late Friday night, or very early Saturday morning and even though he knew it was important to sleep he couldn't bring himself to go to bed. Now, more than any time before, he was deeply preoccupied with thoughts of the show they were soon to put on. They had a bad name in this town and this show would be what made or screwed them in this world.

He knew it was Vexen's job to make sure everything was in order financially and materially, but it was his responsibility to keep nerves, the circies, and acts in line. Maybe that was why he seemed the most concerned over the 'what if's and 'how will's. And what made things worse was, after losing a recent bet with Luxord, he was without cigarettes for the next 24-hours. Grape tootsie-pops were poor substitutes but he used them anyway. For the first time in hours his mind forgot about the show when he heard familiar laughter of two people entering the tent.

"Come on."

"What are we doing in here?"

"I just wanted to show you something."

There was a lengthy silence and Riku could only imagine what the two were doing, then there was a muffled laugh and he became quite aware of what was going on. This sparked a great deal of concern, though he said nothing just yet.

"Do you have to giggle every time I kiss you?"

"I'm sorry, it's just funny."

"Because I'm tall?"

"No, it's just things happened kind of fast don't you think?"

"What? One week too quick for you Roxy?"

"I thought it was, then you showed up."

"I don't know whether I should feel insulted of flattered."

"Well while you think about it I'm going home."

"Why can't you stay the night? Your dad won't mind."

"I would, but I've got a doctor's appointment this morning and I can't talk to you during the hours of sleep I desperately need."

"Who says we have to talk?"

"Axel!"

"Kidding Roxy, kidding!"

Riku heard them laugh and then Axel offered to walk him home, to which Roxas declined, insisting that Axel get some sleep. Axel complied and stole one more kiss before allowing him to leave. He too was on his way out, but stopped when Riku pulled out his lighter and flicked it open, letting him know he was there without seeing or hearing him. Axel turned back around and came over to the box where he was sitting, lighting up the surrounding area with a few controlled fires to see who it was.

Riku shut his lighter and looked at him solemnly, "What are you doing?"

"Eavesdropping. Oh! Wait that's what you were doing," Axel said leaning against the wall between his seat and the main floor.

"I was here first, that's not eavesdropping, just paying attention," Riku told him, asking again, "What are you doing?"

Axel didn't give a direct answer, "Isn't it obvious?"

Riku couldn't believe this, he took the sucker out of his mouth and stood up, "Axel do you realize what you're getting into? He's the ambassador's son for god sake."

"What's the big deal?" Axel asked.

Riku sighed and shook his head, remaining controlled and trying to reason with him, "I'm glad you're happy and all but you need to wake up, what happens when the end of the month gets here and he wants to come with us?"

"Chill Riku, I'm not going to make the same mistake you did," Axel said it though he didn't mean to and he quickly tried to take it back, but Riku hand already jumped the barrier between his seat and the main floor and was heading for the exit, "Riku I didn't mean it like that."

Riku stopped and turned back to him, "You're right, I made a mistake, learn from it and think about what you're doing," he said before turning back around and continuing out the exit.

"Not all love is bad!" Axel yelled after him but Riku didn't turn back. He watched him go then sat down on the ground, taking in what he'd just said. Love. He'd said love…While he and Roxy clearly had something between them neither one had mentioned that heavy four lettered word. It wasn't something to be tossed around lightly, it was love. "Love…" he said to himself, thinking about it hard. Did he love Roxas? He'd barely known him a week, was he just fooling himself? No, he knew Roxas wasn't just a 'fling' to enjoy for a month and then brush aside and go on with life…he loved him. Then, with the words empowering his spirit, he got to his feet and absorbed the fires he'd started as he ran out of the big top.

* * *

Roxas was just about in town when he heard something and turned only to see Axel running towards him, "Axel?" he was confused as to why he was in such a rush, especially when he could clearly see him. He was surprised when Axel finally reached him and pulled him into a tight embrace, holding Roxas firmly against his body, "Axel what's wrong?" Roxas asked, looking up at him with minor concern. He could feel the rapid beat of Axel's heart pounding against his chest and feel it echoing against his own, something strange even for him. 

"I think…I think I love you," he blurted out.

Roxas felt his body freeze and he stared up at him in utter shock. He couldn't even begin to voice a reply, but that was okay because Axel kept repeating what he'd said, "I love you…Roxy I think I love you!" he tilted his chin down and buried his face in Roxas' blond hair, surprising himself just as much with the words.

"…Think?" Roxas said, voicing the first thing that came to mind.

Axel surprisingly laughed into his hair, drawing back a bit and saying, "I'm not that great with rejection so I figure if I just 'think' it and you don't return it I wont be too terribly crushed."

Roxas laughed and hugged him, "Well when you put it that way I'd feel bad if I didn't agree," he wasn't taking him seriously because he knew Axel, he wasn't good at being serious and he knew this was all just a joke…if he were to be true though, Roxas knew his answer.

Axel put a hand under his chin and lifted his eyes to meet his own, "I love you Roxy…whether it's one-sided or not, I love you," Axel said, in possibly the most serious tone he'd ever used in his life, however it was edged with great softness.

Roxas just stared at him, realizing he was serious. This was serious, and this was his chance to answer, "Axel I…" he considered it again, even though he could see that pins and needles Axel was waiting on. They were two different people, two different lifestyles, two different pasts, and two different lives to live…Could he really trust what his heart was telling him? Or was he simply fooling himself into thinking there was more? He couldn't handle the internal argument and he listened to what his heart was telling him and repeated its words, "…I love you too."

As if he'd just told Axel he'd won three million dollars, the pyro picked him up and spun him around with a laugh. His delight surprising Roxas, though he too laughed and held onto him, "Down!" Axel put him down though didn't let go, he was so obviously overwhelmed at the return of his affection he wasn't about to let go. Roxas smiled and rested his head against Axel's chest, "Are you expecting an invitation back to come back home?"

Axel laughed a bit and wound a hand through the blond hair, "Never crossed my mind, I would like something though…" he waited for Roxas to look back up before claiming his lips with his own. It was easily the single most passionate action he'd ever performed in his life and Roxas could feel the fire in it, disappointed when he drew back though and it clearly showed.

"Down Roxy, down," Axel said with a soft chuckle, "I thought you had to get home."

Roxas rolled his eyes, "So now you want me to go home?"

"Scratch out the last part of that and you'll be right," Axel said with a catty grin. When he saw Roxas' face flush with embarrassment he laughed and kissed his forehead, "Kidding. I'm not all kinks you know."

Roxas smiled and shook his head, "You're still not coming back with me." Axel whined in a very childish manner and Roxas laughed, "No means no. You need to go back and rest if you want to be ready for tomorrow."

"I don't want to," Axel said, kissing him again so he couldn't tell him otherwise.

But Roxas knew even if Axel wanted to stay with him, his place was with the circus and to be at the top of his game tomorrow night he would have to go back and rest, "Axel if you don't go back to your room and to sleep I wont come see the show tonight." He knew he'd won when he heard Axel sigh heavily and he nuzzled his head against his shoulder, "I'll see you then though, I promise."

And Axel took his word with a nod, kissing him again before saying, "Come early. I'll be waiting."

This was one of the few moment Roxas had ever experienced Axel being serious, and he couldn't help but smile into the words he said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Riku had just made it back to the train and was halfway back to his room when he spotted Demyx, Larxene, Luxord, and Xigbar all lying sprawled around the common car, each one of them appearing to be sleeping off the buzz supplied by the many bottles of liquor on the floor. 

After what he'd just been through he wasn't too up for this mess, especially since a hangover from any one of them would be utter hell for the show tonight. He dealt with them as he came to them, first carrying Demyx to his room, then dragging Luxord to the couch as he was too big to carry to his room, and Xigbar…well he just left him on the floor. The guy was three times his size and double his weight, it would be impossible to get him far. Larxene was last, and also the lightest of the four, so he was able to carry her back to the girl's car, which was all one room that she and Kairi shared.

He sighed at the messy state of the car but kicked costumes, clothes, and stuffed toys out of the way to get to her bed and put her down. On his way out he noticed Kairi wasn't in bed and he was curious as to where she'd gotten off to. He hoped she had the common sense not to drink since she was pregnant, and he was relieved to see she was on the back of the train sitting on the railing.

Apparently she hadn't heard him come in and he was more than willing to leave that way as well. Luck however was not on his side this evening, because just as he reached the door he stepped on one of Larxene's toys, a rubber fish that squeaked loudly. Through her hangover Larxene didn't even stir, but Kairi heard it and looked back. She came back off the railing and into the room, flipping on the light and surprised to see him.

Riku didn't care though and was about to leave when she stopped him with saying, "Excuse me sir." He turned around and stared at her oddly as if she'd just said frogs came from radioactive popcorn. She didn't explain though and just said, "My name is Kairi. I'm the daughter of the minister here in Twilight Town and I have a boyfriend who is the ambassador's son."

He caught onto what she was doing and said, "Little late for that isn't it?"

"I didn't before and I thought I should be the one to say it… I'm sorry, but can we at least be friends?" she asked.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" he questioned, actually expecting an answer from her.

She didn't reply right away, knowing how difficult it was to change his mind, "I was hoping it would be…"

"It is," his answer shocked her and it obviously showed, "Sure I was pissed and honestly I still am and probably won't ever get over it completely, but there's not much I can do about it now is there?" There was no answer and he sighed after a moment, "But you know, that's the first time you've ever apologized for it."

Kairi realized he was right and she suddenly felt horrible, "Alright, then don't forgive me. But you're a real jerk when you're mad."

He laughed a bit, "That was blunt; shouldn't you be nicer if you want to make things better?"

She shook her head, "Nope. This is me. No more living a lie."

Riku had to admit he was surprised, it took a lot to own up like this and for the first time in a great while he wasn't entirely mad at her, "Well then, nice to meet you Kairi," he said, holding out his hand.

"Likewise," she said, shaking his hand with a smile at the little game, "I hope we can become friends."

"Anything's possible. But right now I've just put all the hung over circies to bed and am very tired for the first time since we've been here so I'm going to bed," he told her, bowing out of their charade, "I advise you to do the same with such a big day tomorrow." He saw to it that she did get in bed before leaving, stepping on the squeaky fish toy once more by accident on his way out.

Riku finally made it back to his room and to bed, but just as he was getting comfortable he heard the door open. Now he didn't bother conversing with anyone this late unless he was very drunk, and since he wasn't he just faked sleep. His act though was blown when a great deal of weight landed on his back and he wheezed into his pillow, scowling and glaring back over his shoulder at the redheaded pyro who had jumped onto him and was sitting on his back with a grin, "You aren't suicidal again are you?"

"You'd think that since I woke up," Axel said, though his good mood didn't falter. He put his foot on the back of Riku's head and pushed his face back down into the pillow, "Guess what." Axel took his muffled threats of death as 'what,' and declared, "I'm in love!"

Riku's hand reached back and grabbed Axel's wrist, twisting it painfully so he yelped and got off. He sat up and stared at Axel, sitting at the foot of the bed wearing a most devilishly innocent smile, "Just say you're happy for me and I'll let you go back to sleep."

"I'm happy for you, but not happy about what's going to happen at the end of the month," Riku said flatly.

Axel apparently knew that already because he knew what to say, "I know, but I can't help it. I love him damn it and there's nothing I can do about it."

Riku understood very well, and he was glad Axel had finally found someone to love but… "I don't want you to get hurt."

Axel sighed and shook his head, "You know, not all lovers turn out to be two-faced murderers." He supposed he had that coming, so Riku didn't take it badly. "Besides, you know Roxy, and I'm going to have to laugh at you if you think he's any threat to us," Axel said, reminding him that they were family. The circies were a family, and all they had to rely on were each other.

Riku smiled and shook his head, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Probably tell me I need sleep, and then kick me out so you can go to bed," Axel said, already getting up and heading for the door, "I'm one step ahead of you though."

"Hey," Riku called after him to get him to turn back, "I really am happy for you." Axel nodded with gratitude; the opinions of others usually meant little to him but Riku was his best friend and he wouldn't feel right knowing he didn't approve.

After he left Riku reached over to a cluttered bedside table, opening the drawer and digging through to find a packet of cigarettes. Screw the bet, after everything that happened over the past hour he needed one of the peppermint sticks. But he immediately noticed something was missing, and it wasn't the cigarettes.

'_Shit…' _he thought, finding everything but that which was missing: his notebook. There was a letter though in it's place and he pulled it out and opened it up, reading over it quickly and laughing a bit with mild amusement:

_Good luck_

He wadded the short note up and dropped it back in the drawer, taking out a lighter and lighting the cigarette between his lips, _'Have your fun.'

* * *

_

Wow, bow to the drama. I was surprised at how much of Riku I worked into this chapter, but it's been focused solely on Roxas and Axel for too long. I like having diversity in my writing, it keeps people on their toes . I hope you didn't mind the length of this chapter, but the next chapter will hold quite a lot so expect it to make up for what this lacked. Besides…isn't an 'I love you' kind of filling XD I squeed when I wrote it. It's not love at first sight but let's face it, they seem like the pair that would just grow on each other quickly don't you think.

Well that's about all I have to say tonight, other than please please please review! I'm grateful for every one of them! Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	8. Showtime

WHEW! I DID IT! Okay all my work and lack of sleep has resulted in this wonderful (and long) chapter which I am very proud of! This is the part many of you have been waiting for!...No, not kinky lemons! You'll have to read and see! (As if the chapter title hasn't already given it away though) HAHA! Thank you guys so much for your reviews! I can't believe I'm at 49! I feel so loved I don't know how I could possible say how much! Hehe, but look at me! I'm sleep-deprived and giddy, I should probably introduce the chapter before I break into an Irish drinking song. So now, with much pleasure, I present to you: chapter 8!

**P.S: I DO NOT OWN 'MAGIC TO DO,' 'MUNGOJERRIE & RUMPELTEAZER,' OR 'ONE IN A MILLION.' **These are just three songs used in this chapter and there have been alterations and edits to them all!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Showtime**

"Go away Mr. Sun," whined Demyx in a childish mumble, rolling over in his bed away from the window to avoid the sunlight coming in. With all the places they visited and the many different time zones the sleep cycle of a circie was always a mess, which was why they always had evening shows; that way they'd always have at least a day to rest.

Demyx was still on Olympian time which was just one big mess none of them had been able to follow too well. Most of the time they'd just choose random numbers and wait for people to show up at that time, unaware that 12 Juno 452 Rey meant 2:15 in the morning from their old mental clock. Being half asleep wasn't good for business as they found out after performing in an almost drunken manner, though entertaining the audience none the less.

Unfortunately the sun was not feeling merciful and would not let him go and he rolled over and off of his bed, landing on the floor with a thud. He looked around and realized he hadn't come back to his room last night and thus one of the others must have brought him back after the drunken festivities. Spry as a teen, he was surprisingly hangover-free, though his memories of the event were a little fuzzy.

The others were still not awake, he learned, as he walked into the common car to find an early afternoon breakfast; Luxord and Xigbar were actually still sprawled out in the room. As he passed by them he got distracted from his thoughts of breakfast and got a rather malicious idea, hurrying by quietly towards the girl's car.

* * *

Riku opened one eye when he heard Demyx's shrill laugher and the coarse swearing of both Luxord and Xigbar, followed shortly after by what sounded like a stampede down the hallway before the door flew open and the three ran off the train.

Now he knew it was wrong to let Demyx get beaten to a pulp by the two for whatever he'd done to them, but there was a problem…it was early and he had barely gotten any sleep, so by no means was he going to get out of bed for at least another hour. His hour was cut short though when his door opened and in came Axel, laughing his head as he crossed to the bed and flopped down beside it.

"Axel Renée Almanza if you don't get out of here right now I swear I'll—" but Axel ignored his threat and put his hand on the back of his head, pushing his face down into the pillow to effectively silence him, "What happens when you give Demyx lipstick, eyeliner, caramel, and chocolate syrup." There was a muffled answer from Riku but Axel shook his head, "No! Not kinky pole dancing!" Axel declared, getting to his feet and pulling him out of bed, literally dragging him out of the room and to the hall.

Riku was about to turn go into 'homicidal pissy mode' when Axel finally let go and he stood up, but when he saw out the window he completely forgot about the awakening and burst into laughter. Two _uniquely_, for lack of a better word, decorated circies were chasing a giggly Demyx across the grounds.

"You know…it's going to be hell trying to get them to work together tonight," Riku pointed out. The circies were a relatively forgiving bunch…after a few months.

"Think we should start now?" Axel asked, looking at the one accurate clock on the train, which hung above the entry door to their car and changed with the world. It was already past noon and it would be another 8 hours until the show, but that wasn't a lot when you counted in how much time it typically takes to run three practices, set up the entrance, test tech and instrumental equipment, listen to Vexen gripe in the background, and then finally get themselves ready.

"You wake the others, I'll go save Demyx," Riku said, giving a round about answer of 'yes' to Axel's question.

"Aw, how come you get the fun job?" Axel pouted.

"Because the last time you tried to help Demyx the president's shoopuf got killed," Riku answered shortly.

"It wasn't my fault that big anteater got in my way."

"Three times."

The short reply was enough to convince Axel he had a point and so he gave up, heading down the hall to wake up the others. "Axel," Riku said, stopping him and holding out his empty hand. Without a word Axel gave him back his lighter, grinning a bit before heading off again.

Riku rolled his eyes and put the lighter back into his pocket before setting off to help Demyx while attempting not to laugh at the caramel/lipstick/eyeliner/chocolate-syrup decorated Luxord and Xigbar.

* * *

As Roxas drew closer to the circus he realized something shocking: despite the fact that he and his older brother Sora had come an hour prior to house opening, there was already a large crowd of people gathered around the big top entrance and the area on the outskirts of their setup was littered with cars and bikes. There was a much bigger turn out than he'd expected and the after opening crowd hadn't even shown up yet!

"Looks like your friends are very popular," Sora commented as they tried to make their way to the front of the crowd. He was originally going to come at a later time with his friends but reconsidered suggesting it to them, for fear they disapproved of the circus still. Sora was a leader of the followers and kept them happy by sticking to the status quo.

"Ah! There's our little guest of honor," Vexen said, beckoning Roxas to them when he finally made it through the mob of people. Lexaeus was with him by the entrance as well, the two keeping the audience from entering…actually Lexaeus was doing that. His size served as a wonderful intimidation factor.

The people who heard Vexen's comment looked at Roxas oddly, they all knew who he was and was alarmed that he knew them. Roxas didn't care though, he wasn't here to please the towns people, he was here for the circies, "There are so many people here!"

"Incredible for our first actual show here," Lexaeus comment. Like the others, he too had taken a shine to Roxas though not nearly as willing to show it.

"Do you guys need any help out here?" Roxas asked, wondering if he could be of any use.

"Nah, we're fine here. Gorillas are good for keeping guests in line," Vexen said, quickly taking it back though when Lexaeus turned on him with a look to kill. "The others are in the back getting ready, you can head on in if you want," Vexen said, opening one of the doors for him. Everyone outside tried to look in and catch a glimpse of what awaited them, but there was a second set of doors inside that blocked their view.

Roxas went through but when Sora tried to follow Lexaeus stopped him, "Sorry kid. House doesn't open for another hour."

"Roxas!" Sora called after him, sure he would fix this.

But Roxas merely grinned and said, "Sorry Sora, you heard them." He was delighted to be able to pass and his brother wasn't, and when Vexen shut the audience out with the doors he went through the other set and into the big top.

He took notice of another circie when, upon setting foot onto the floor, rose petals materialized and fell around him and he looked up to see Marluxia smiling at him from the skywalk above the lights. Marluxia was a very friendly and very feminine man with feather cut brown hair falling to his narrow shoulders. He was responsible for visual effects and lights, though he was a talented illusionist and occasionally performed, he was happier and more comfortable doing the backstage work. Why he may come off as shy, he was actually quite talkative and impossible to get to shut up once he warmed up to you.

"Careful up there!" Roxas advised, watching him lean over the railing of the skywalk. He panicked when he slid and fell over, falling to the ground. A few feet from the ground he disappeared into rose petals and that was when Roxas reminded himself that he was an illusionist, it was his job to make people think opposite of what is happening, and he looked back up only to see Marluxia sitting on the skywalk with a catty grin.

Roxas applauded him and Marluxia took a bow before returning to work without a word. Roxas bid him good bye and headed for the door hidden behind one set of bleachers, inside was the back room where all the circies waited and hung out while they weren't in the act. The far wall and the right one were all well lit mirror and counter space which was covered in stage make up, body paint, hairspray, and other products used to prepare themselves. Near the door, pressed back against the wall were two large standing closets in which were all of their costumes, accessories, and trinkets used for their decoration. Pushed against to remaining wall were two couches, which obviously had seen better days, but comfy none the less, with their fronts pushed together to form one long wide couch.

Now while Roxas had seen them rehearse he'd never seen them in costume and was shocked by the unique attires. The first he noticed was Demyx, whom was sitting on the countertop right across the room from him, painting his eyes a lively green. His top was skin-tight spandex which was understandable; if he was flying through the air he needed as little resistance as possible without going naked. It was sectioned into four parts by two white lines that crossed over his heart; left arm green, right arm gold, left side gold, right side white and the back was the opposite. He also had shorts on, the left leg green, and the right gold, with green and gold jester like tights reaching right below their end. His costume hurt Roxas' eyes with the many different switches in color.

Fortunately Kairi pulled his eyes away when she saw him and came over, "Roxy, hey do me a favor and tie this please," she said, turning around. Roxas looked at her and found it a little easier to follow: she had on a short, white, strapless dress with many ruffles at it's base and a red and gold corset over top that which laced in the back, with two long black gloves that reached a few inches above her elbows and was embellished with white ruffles at the wrist and end. Roxas tied the ribbon in the back in a bow but assumed he'd done it incorrectly when she sighed.

"You'll have to forgive her Roxy," Roxas looked back and saw Riku come in. Since he was ringmaster Roxas had thought he might dress a little toned down but he was wrong; he too was eccentric in black pants with white pinstripe, a red tuxedo like jacket with tails, open with a black un-tucked button-up shirt underneath. He had his top hat in one hand, with two playing cards, the joker and ace of hearts, tucked into the band around the base. "Kairi is horribly self conscious, though she doesn't need to be, and is under the impression that if it isn't cutting off her oxygen then she's fat," Riku explained, coming over and redoing the corset tighter.

"Tighter," she said shortly, ignoring his comment about her being self conscious.

He shook his head and reached past her to the counter, picking up a red choker with white ruffles along it's base, "You're pregnant," he reminded her, making it clear he wasn't going to let her tie it any tighter. Kairi sighed and pulled up her hair so he could tie on the choker for her, and she didn't make any further argument.

Larxene came running in next, right to the mirror by Demyx and hurrying with her make up. She was decorated in a white, spandex, short dress, whose straps tied around the back of her neck and left a keyhole right above her chest, and green and gold horizontal stripe tights. Her costume was made to compliment Demyx's since they were a duo act.

"You know you wouldn't have to rush if you spent less time in the shower," Demyx commented, but as a result she pushed him over.

"Women," Luxord sighed from where he sat on the back of the couch. His costume went right along with his act and was more reasonable than the others. He was wearing a fitted white shirt with a high collar and zipped up the front. On his right shoulder was a red graffiti heart and on his left side was a black graffiti spade. His pants were many white and red diamonds and there was a black club painted over his right eye.

"Where are Axel and Xigbar?" Roxas asked, noticing that he still hadn't seen two of the circies.

"Well Axel's here, but Xigbar is probably just now getting out of the shower and realizing someone stole his clothes," Axel said as he came in, with an armful of clothes which obviously belonged to Xigbar. He dropped them on the counter before going over to the couch and sliding over the back of it so his feet were still propped up on the back though the rest of him was lying on the space created by the two couches put together, "So nobody be surprised when he comes in here naked."

Roxas came over and leaned the back of the couch, "Now why'd you go and do that?" he asked with a smile.

"Because I could," was his answer. Axel was wearing a black muscle shirt with a semi-high collar, and a red arm band around his upper left arm. His pants were similar to a red and black checkerboard, but from the upper portion of either leg was a white strip of material, hooked to a small metal loop before going around the outer of his leg and hooking to a metal loop on the lower portion of the other leg. He grinned and sat up, grabbing the front of Roxas' shirt and pulling him over the back of the couch to land by him.

"So, how's the line outside?" Larxene asked as she went over the closet and rummaged through a box in the bottom for something.

"What line?" Roxas asked. Everyone looked over at him then, and he smiled and said, "There is no line, just a huge mob of people trying to get in early."

They were relieved to hear this, assuming at first that 'what line?' meant there was nobody there, "Had us worried for a second there," Riku said before taking up a small brush and a capsule of black paint, using it to draw in a little spiral at the end and a little below his left eye.

"Your dad is a real lifesaver," Kairi said what they all were thinking.

"Ready to put on a show?" Roxas asked, sitting up and looking at the rest of them. He was so glad he'd been able to help them, though actually they'd helped him far more than he had.

"Life is a show Roxy," Axel told him with a grin, "We're just giving others a break from theirs."

* * *

Finally everything was ready. The bleachers were filling quickly as more people showed up after the big top opened and sat in anticipation of what was waiting for them. More than three-quarters of Twilight Town must have been there, Roxas thought when he came out of the back room to find his brother and his seat as the show was about to start. It didn't take long to find Sora; he was sitting in the ground level box seat right centered by the entrance.

"What's wrong with these seats?" Sora asked as soon as Roxas sat down beside him.

"They're too seat-y," Roxas said, wondering what his brother could find wrong with the best seats in the house.

"That girly man at the entrance said Riku wanted us to sit here, there's got to be a problem with them or something," Sora explained.

Before Roxas could say anything the lights went down and then out completely. The audience quieted and for a moment that's all there was, quiet. Then they heard it: a piano playing slowly from the wall of instruments and filling the space with an unfamiliar melody. Blue lights came up slowly and outlines of people became visible on the floor, one playing the piano and then the drum began beating itself. A spotlight materialized on one of them, Riku whom was sitting on a chair in the center. He grinned and put his hat on, leaning forward to the audience in front of him as if he were going to tell them a story. Then he sang, right in pace with the melody Demyx provided on the piano:

_Join us, leave your fields to flower,_

_Join us, leave your dreams to sour,_

_Join us, come and waste an hour or two_

_Do-da-le-do_

_Journey, journey to a spot ex-_

_Citing, mystic, and exotic,_

_Journey, through our anecdotic review_

_We've got magic to do,_

When he said it the other circies, whom had been still up until now came to life in some sort of flourish or unexpected trick, while Riku remained where he was. He tipped his hat to the audience and continued:

_Just for you,_

_We've got miracle plays to play,_

_We've got parts to perform,_

_Hearts to warm,_

_Kings and things to take by storm,_

_As we go along our way_

He held the note as long as Demyx did before standing up and out of the light, and as soon as he did Larxene came running over and jumped over the back of the chair, landing on her toes on the seat, singing in her much higher voice:

_Intrigue! Plots to bring disaster._

Axel tumbled in at her feet, adding:

_Humor! Handled by a master._

Larxene jumped off the chair and landed straddling his lap, joining him in:

_Romance! Sex presented past orally._

Riku came back behind the chair, grinning as if to let the audience know this was meant to be amusing:

_De-da-le-de._

Demyx had left the instruments as they contntinued to play the melody on their own and jumped onto Riku's back, taking his hat and putting it on his own head:

_Illusion! Fantasy to study._

Xigbar grabbed Demyx and pulled him off, dropping him in the chair as if to put him in his place:

_Battles! Barbarous and bloody._

Riku took his hat back and held it out to the audience, welcoming them into their act:

_So join us! Sit where everybody can see!_

And with that all the circies scattered from the chair and the lights came up to reveal the full of the circus, each circie running off to a different section of bleachers and jumping up at the audience and further enticing them:

_We've got magic to do!_

_Just for you!_

_We've got miracle plays to play!_

_We've got hearts to perform!_

_Hearts to warm!_

_Kings and things to take by storm,_

_As we go along our way_

After that they ran up into the audience, interacting with greetings of all sorts for a few moments before running back down to the main floor, repeating:

_We've got magic to do!_

_Just for you!_

_We've got miracle plays to play!_

_We've got hearts to perform!_

_Hearts to warm!_

_Kings and things to take by storm,_

_As we go along_

The music quieted drastically and Riku finished with:

_Our way_

While the others echoed with:

_Magic to do…_

Then it got loud again and they all ran back to their section of bleachers, everyone finishing with:

_We've got baubles, and fables, to portray,_

_As we go along_

And Riku closed with:

_Our way_

And the lights faded out.

God the uproar from the audience was indescribable! They'd never seen anything like this before and the sheer boldness and delight they were watching was enough to bring them to their feet with applause. This was what they'd feared for so many years? Shouts and cheers of praise filled the area, overpowering the music.

When the lights came back up the circies were gone save for Riku whom raised his hands to request they settle down, though they were all overjoyed to see their opening had been a success. It took a few minutes but the crowd finally settled, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and congratulations! It looks like you aren't disappointed that you chose to go against the ministers word," there was much woofs and cheers of agreement and he continued with, "We promise not to let you down, but that's just a sticky disclaimer none of you are interested it. So! Let's start things off right then shall we?" he snapped and there were two screams, immediately followed by two figures swinging through the air. The floor lights faded and a green glow filled the air, revealing Demyx on one of the platforms and Larxene on the other. They both rolled over the safety bar and back to the platform, tempting fate and miming overly dramatic at what the other was doing as Riku gave their introduction:

_Demyx and Larxene,_

_Are a notorious couple of cats,_

_As knock about clowns,_

_Quick change comedians,_

_Tightrope walkers and acrobats_

_But they are incurably given to rove!_

They both dove out into the air, and it looked like suicide until they grabbed onto separate trapeze, swinging forward at the other and their feat drew much response from the audience.

_If the area window was found ajar_

_And the basement looked like a field of war_

_If a tile or two came loose on the roof,_

_Which presently ceased to be waterproof_

_It was Demyx or Larxene,_

_And most of the time it's left at that._

After that they let go of their bar and swung over to the other's Larxene flying over Demyx, and they both grabbed simultaneously. When his trapeze reached the platform, Demyx let go of the bar, letting momentum take him to the platform, but he did not step off. He put a foot on before letting himself fall backwards just as the trapeze came back down, grabbing onto it and swinging back away from the support beam. Larxene mimicked him though rather than grab her own bar, Demyx pulled himself up and hung upside down as his trapeze swung over to her side and he caught her wrists before swinging away. On their trip back Demyx let go of his bar and Larxene, grabbing onto what had been her bar while she took his and they swung to opposite sides again.

The audience held their breath as they tempted fate so lightly, making it seem so easy despite the obvious danger. They were kept entertained by their tricks for several minutes until they finally stopped, jumping off their trapeze and to the platforms. The audience applauded as they slid down the beams to the ground, coming together in the center and taking their bows.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Demyx and Larxene," Riku said and they took a second set of bows, blowing kisses to the audience before scurrying off behind the bleachers. "Well seems you certainly enjoyed that," Riku said, sitting on the stool they'd used for the opening earlier, "Somebody finish this sentence for me: blank, blank, and bears, oh my…Oh I see. You aren't spirited enough to answer yet," Riku sighed, sounding disappointed. The audience however didn't know he really wanted a reply, after all, they were not use to audience interaction.

"Lions and tigers!" several people shouted.

Riku nodded, "Bingo," was all he said before two huge male white lions came running and roaring through the entrance, and three large white tigers came from behind the instrument wall. They ran up and surrounded the stool he was sitting on, snarling viciously. There were screams from the audience and the large cats dove at knocked him off his seat, and they all lunged at him when he was on the ground. The audience couldn't see with the cats obstructing their view and several cried for calls of help. Both Roxas and Sora got out of their seats and Sora was about to jump in to help but suddenly all the cats backed off and the audience saw Riku was gone, and in his place sat Kairi.

Despite the horrible shock they'd been through, and how some of them still remember who she was, they applauded the trick. Roxas and Sora sat back down and Roxas noticed a few rose petals where Riku had been, letting him know Marluxia had played a hand in his disappearing act. He'd seen Kairi's act before and was more interested in how his brother was reacting. Here was his ex-girlfriend, whom had left him for someone he now knew and seemed ok with; at least he gathered as much when he had to practically pull Sora back when he tried to get up and help Riku.

He really didn't seem to phased by seeing her again, though he really didn't appear to be watching the act. Roxas recognized the absent minded stare, letting him know his brother was off in his own little world. The act ended and Kairi and her cats earned a hearty round of applause from the audience before they left through the main entrance.

As soon as the audience settled down Riku came back to the floor, getting quite a lot of praise for his disappearing act, "Wonderful weren't they? You didn't hear this from me but the lions snore," he said but the two lions bolted back into the circus, snarling at him until he apologized.

As the lions left for a second time and the audience's laughter subsided Riku introduced the next act, "Speaking of snoring let me introduce to you our next act. Presenting to you: your very own, Luxord!" Roxas noticed him clear his throat and put a hand to it as the lights dimmed he was a bit worried but assumed it was nothing as he watched his leave.

When the audience saw one of the local high school teacher come into view as the lights returned to normal there was a mixed reaction of confusion and surprise. Their shock was furthered when he began his act with a bang, drawing out a deck of cards and throwing them to the air as they shuffled themselves, flying with no visible assistance.

While Roxas too was delighted by the act he couldn't help but wonder when Axel was coming on. Almost as if irony was waiting for him to think that, he felt something ping him in the back of the head. He looked back and saw Axel standing in the corner back by the entrance, out of the line of view of the audience and beckoning him over. Roxas got up, grinning at the fact his brother was too distracted by the show to notice him leave. He followed Axel out before asking, "What's up?"

"We've got a problem," Axel said shortly, grabbing his hand and hurrying off around the circus. Roxas followed but was confused, what could have happened to make Axel so panicked. Around the back of the big top was a door leading to the back of the bleachers near the back room where the circies waited between acts.

It was clear that something was wrong when they got into the room, soundproofed of the music outside but quite as well on the inside. Everyone looked up when the door opened and all at once they started talking, trying to explain something Roxas couldn't quite piece together. Axel shut the door quickly to keep their noise in and Xigbar fired a shot into the wall to make them shut up, "Quiet!"

There was a brief silence before Demyx explained their predicament, "Guess who's lost his voice."

Roxas looked at Riku, who was sitting on the couch by Larxene, he looked in a foul mood and nodded to confirm what Demyx had said. "Well you can make it through the rest of the show right?" Roxas asked, not sure just how bad it was.

Riku scowled and opened his mouth to say something but it came out as only air. "Translation: it's lost, not playing hide and seek Roxy," Larxene said and Riku patted her on the head out of gratitude.

"Can't one of you sing instead?" Roxas asked, looking to each of them for an answer to the problem.

Some laughed, others rolled their eyes and shook their heads, Riku just slouched against Larxene. "What you heard in the opening was the best of our singing Roxy, and it sounds crappy if we go solo. Plus up next is supposed to be the big number before intermission," Axel told him.

Roxas voiced the first idea that came to his head, "You could just do the rest of the show without vocals." But that idea was instantly shot down, as they said now that they'd started it they couldn't just stop halfway through the show.

"Guess we'll just have to cut tonight short…" Xigbar said with a sigh. This was a sure sign things were bad if he was throwing in the towel. The others nodded in disappointed agreeance and Riku hung his head, obviously feeling very guilty and Larxene and Demyx comforted him to let him know it wasn't his fault.

"I can sing," Roxas blurted out and every head turned to look at him.

"How well?" Xigbar asked but Kairi pushed him, "Does it matter? We're desperate anyway!"

Roxas almost regretted saying it, stage fright already bubbling in his stomach, but he couldn't let their show fall apart when they'd come so far, "I don't know what I'd sing though…" he said.

Riku got up and jumped over the back of the couch, picking up a stick of eyeliner and going over to one of the mirrors, writing something before moving and turning back to Roxas so he could see: _I saw what you'd been writing in that notebook, Demyx can come up with a tune for one real quick and the other instruments will take care of the rest. You did say you sometimes thought about them with music after all._

Roxas was intrigued by the idea but… "I've never…"

When Roxas said that, Riku wrote more and the stepped back to show: _Never met a circie before this month but that's turned out well now hasn't it?_ There was a silence from Roxas, clearly uncertain and Riku wrote one more thing: _We trust you Roxy._

Roxas read it and smiled, "Alright, I'll do it," he said, immediately overwhelmed by a wave of thanks and hugs; clearly canceling the show would have devastated the circies far more than imaginable.

Luxord got word from Marluxia to draw his act out with a wave of rosebuds falling from the air, which he quickly incorporated in his act as if it meant nothing at all. Meanwhile Demyx quickly thought up a melody for what Roxas had planned, and the other circies got him ready appearance wise. Just by taking some of the body paint to the clothes he had on Larxene managed to add an all new circie twist to it.

"So what do I do when I get out there?" Roxas asked, nervously looking to the others for advice. This wasn't exactly his usual comfort zone, performing in front of over 1,000 people, most of which knew him.

"Luxord should be finishing his act when you go out. Marluxia let him know something was wrong so he should be able to help the transition. We come in randomly, and will just have to improv with what you say," Demyx explained while painting the hem of his pants, "Just have fun and everything will be fine."

Roxas nodded but was having difficulty calming down. Axel noticed and put his hands on his shoulders, resting his chin in his head, "You'll do great," he assure him. Roxas smiled and nodded, feeling better now.

The circies finished their work and sent him off as Luxord's act came to an end. There was a brief silence before Demyx looked up to Riku sitting on the counter with a grin, "He'll thank us."

"Or he'll hate us," Riku added. It had all been just another act, and they'd all been in on it from the start. This was their way of thanking Roxas, he wanted to be a circie and even if they couldn't grant him that they could at least let him in on the fun.

* * *

Outside the crowd was applauding and cheering Luxord as the act came to a close with all of the cards returning to his extended right hand. Sora was over the fact that this was his former teacher and was absolutely captivated by the whole act, getting to his feet to applaud him. It was then that he noticed his brother was missing and grumbled, "Roxas," as he looked around the area for where he could have gotten off to. It was Luxord that told him.

"What say? Up for another familiar face?" Sora looked back just in time to see Roxas coming out as the lights turned a blue hue. Sora wasn't the only one who recognized him and the rest of the audience murmured twice as much as when they'd seen Luxord come out.

Demyx had taken his place at the piano already and before the audience could question his purpose any further he struck up a higher note chord, looking over his shoulder at Roxas to wait for the opportune time to leave the delicate opening. Luxord backed out of the light and Roxas knew this was his time to shine, he couldn't let it pass by:

_You're one in a million, Oh_

_Now, you're one in a million_

_Oh…_

Demyx had a keen ear and knew this was his cue and sped up, an almost techno undertone taking over the piano while a sitar nearby began playing itself. Roxas really could sing and the circies waiting backstage were impressed! They weren't the only ones, the audience, whom seldom heard him speak at all couldn't believe their ears. Roxas fed off their entertained gazes to get rid of his worry and he picked up the tempo to keep with Demyx's melody.

_Sometimes love can hit you every day_

_Sometimes you can fall for everyone you see_

_But only one can really make me stay_

_A sign from the sky_

_Said to me_

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Demyx and Larxene rush forward, leaving the instruments to play themselves as the two twirled a circle around him before flipping away to continue about their own contemporary routine with all sorts of twists, tumbles, and tricks, smooth yet swift just like the music. Luxord followed suit, his cards dancing around him for a moment before scattering all over the big top to fly with no visible assistance.

To see the circies right there alongside him performing to what he created was an indescribable sensation and he loosened up greatly, joining in their fun. That's what this was: it wasn't just a matter of helping them, it was fun!

_You're one in a million_

_Once in a lifetime_

_You made me discover one of the stars above us_

_You're one in a million_

_Once in a lifetime_

_You made me discover one of the stars above us_

_I've been looking for that special one_

_And I've been searching for someone to give my love_

_And when I thought that all the hope was gone_

_A smile, there you were and I was gone_

By now Xigbar, Kairi, and Axel had joined in the act, each incorporating something the audience would notice, though not competing with the other circies already entertaining. This was a display of all they could do and there was no holding back, yet despite their vigor they kept perfectly with the song as it was sung. Axel actually jumped over him, tumbling backwards once he was on the ground so he was right at Roxas' feet before igniting the ground around him momentarily, winking at him and darting away to continue his own act just as the others did. Roxas smiled and the flames vanished. He was shocked when he heard a change in pitch from the piano and when he looked back he was surprised to see Riku coming out, looking much better and obviously sounding much better when he picked up where he left off in a more spoken and quick rendition of it:

_In the beginning I was cool and everything was possible_

_They tried to catch me but it was impossible_

_No one could hurt me it was my game_

_Until I met you baby and you were the same_

_And when you didn't want me I wanted you because_

_The funny thing about it is I like the show_

_I like it when its difficult_

_I like it when its hard_

_Then you know its worth it_

_That you found your heart_

Roxas realized what they'd done and was ecstatic! And when Riku stopped his quick tempo lyrical and flashed him a smile he knew it was his now and Roxas picked right back up on key, Riku providing backup accents that Roxas couldn't do:

_You're one in a million_

_Once in a lifetime_

_You made me discover one of the stars above us_

_You're one in a million_

_Once in a lifetime_

_You made me discover one of the stars above us_

Then everything slowed and the circies stopped as the song neared it's end and Roxas finished with a short: _You're one in a million._ It was then that he heard it. The entire song he'd been so engulfed in what he was doing he hadn't heard the audiences cheers. They were cheering for him, no, not only him. They were cheering for him and the circies as well. Roxas saw them hurrying off as the lights dimmed and was considering returning to his seat until Axel ran over to him, grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with them. Even if he wasn't a circie, and even if he never became one, at that moment Roxas truly felt like he belonged.

* * *

WHEW! That was a long one! But I can finally go to bed! Yay! Dearest readers and wonderful reviewers, in case you haven't guessed I'm a busy person but, this upcoming week is going to be a complete mess. I have performances every night this week and dress rehearsals before that, then an audition tomorrow afternoon so my free time is going to be absolutely nil until Monday. Today was my last hope of getting anything done and thus this chapter was finished! I do hope you understand and forgive the time I take off, but I will (and already have begun to) ponder the next chapter when I find the time, and seeing as next week is the beginning of Christmas break I should hopefully be able to get something up quickly. I must be off now, as it is late and I'm very tired. Thank you to all who took the time to read and please review! I will be most grateful and I very much need them with the week ahead of me. Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	9. Act Two

**O.O I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! **super flying hugs for everyone I have no earthly idea how I jumped from 49 to 61 reviews in just one chapter but I love every one of you for making this possible! I feel so loved! It was this love that inspired me to work quicker than ever on this chapter and voila! Here it is! Thank you all so much for being paitent. Taking on 8 seperate dances in the Nutcracker literally sucked the life out of me all last week and the few hours that I wasn't on stage or at school were needed for sleep. Sunday night was our last show and after the cast party I was finally able to sit down and work on this, and was very surprised at how quickly it came together! (Not to mention how long it turned out to be) but enough of my blabbering! Here is an early (insert holiday here) gift for all of you!

**IMPORTANT!!! **I have decided to have a **contest**! Many people are fascinated by the circies costumes and while I have sketches of theirs, **which I have just posted at my homepage (linked in my profile) and I invite you to look at (Kairi and Larxene are being tweaked at the moment though and will be up shortly)**, I really haven't made a specific one for little Roxy! Thus I am leaving this open for your imaginations! Feel free to draw circie-Roxy however you imagine him and then send me the link through a pm, email, or just an irrelavent review if you'd like. I'll close this contest at the end of January so you have pleanty of time, and the person who best depicts circie-Roxy will not only recieve a lifetime supply or hugs, but their circie-Roxy's outfit will be the official one used for any performance he does! Good luck and love to all of you!

**SIDENOTE!!!! **The song used in this is entitled La Vie Boheme B, and is the other half of La Vie Boheme (Which you may recall was the improv from chapter 2) For those of you who have seen RENT and know this song you'll notice there is an alteration to Axel's line when he's addressing people. And this was done simply to keep this story from getting into trouble. **I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG OR ANY OF THE KH1/KHCOM/KH2 CHARACTERS, JUST PIECES OF THE CIRCIES CLOTHING!**

**

* * *

Chapter 9**

**Act Two**

"I can't believe you guys!"

The circies laughed at Roxas' reaction to their beneficial trick. The boy was obviously overwhelmed and it was incredibly humorous watching him walk in and flop down on the couch as the intermission act ended.

"I can't believe you pulled it off!" Axel hurried after him and jumped over the back of the couch, landing by his head with a catty grin.

"Xigbar, you're up," Riku said, skipping over small talk for the moment to ensure the show didn't fall off pace. Xigbar left quickly out the door, nearly toppling Demyx in the process. When he was sure things were on track, Riku came over to the couch and leaned over the back, "Be a good boy Roxy and say you liked it."

"It was incredible!" Roxas exclaimed. If this was the rush the circies got when they performed, he could clearly see why they chose this life.

"Yay! Roxy is one of us!" Demyx squealed, jumping over the back of the couch and hugging Roxas with sheer delight.

"That's true you know. He has performed in the big top," Larxene said, wondering what that meant he was. This had been the first time a non-circie had performed in their domain; even the wild cats qualified as circies.

"Guess that makes him an unofficial circie," Riku said, not sure what else he could be considered, "That is if you'll accept that title."

"Absotivly posolutly," Roxas quickly said with a grin.

"Great, you can help with the finale too," Kairi said, then to Riku, "What are we going to do tonight anyway?"

"Hm…well originally I was thinking of Alegria, but with a new addition I'm thinking we have a little improv," Riku suggest, getting much agreeance as soon as it was proposed.

"Theme?" Demyx asked as he was eager to plan a tune for it.

"Expressive, let's show them who we are," Riku said. Again this was taken with much delight and it was agreed upon unanimously.

Roxas had seen a few improvs by the circies and was eager to try his hand in one, especially one as unique as this. Riku, though it didn't seem like it, had been paying close attention to the music and noise of the act outside and sent Demyx and Larxene out at their proper cue. Roxas was impressed by the smooth flow of the circus, despite all the colorful antics everything went perfectly. While what went on backstage fascinated him, he was more interested in watching the magic the audience was witnessing, "Can I go watch the rest of the act?"

"Sure, we'll just go through the entrance and watch from there," Axel said as he got off the couch. Roxas was glad to have him as company, though he knew he had his act right after Xigbar's and assumed he wouldn't be able to stay long. They left through the back and when they got to the entrance they caught the act in full swing. Xigbar had the audience in an uproar with his marksmanship, firing the purple shards at volunteer targets, warping them away at the last second.

Roxas saw that Demyx and Larxene had been incorporated into the act as well; flying through the air on the trapeze and diving carelessly as the shards barely missed them. He held his breath as he waited on pins and needles to see if Xigbar would miss and impale one of them; though he'd been told that Xigbar had 'accidentally' shot Demyx in the butt once.

The two trapeze artists swung off of their bars and landed on opposite platforms on the large supporting beams, joining Xigbar in a bow as the audience applauded and cheered. The purple shards that had been shot into the bleachers, support beams, and ceiling all vanished in a short, harmless explosion and the two trapeze artists each picked up a narrow strip of fabric, about an arm's length and an envelope wide. They waved it to the audience then to Xigbar far below them, spinning once before taking both ends of their fabric in hand and falling back off the platform. It appeared to be a fall to their death but halfway down Xigbar fired two shots, each piercing through the two fabrics and pinning them to the support beams to stop the falling circies.

The audience cheered and applauded with extreme zeal and Demyx and Larxene let go of their fabric, falling the rest of the way and landing on their feet, running up to Xigbar and join him in a final bow as the act came to a close.

Roxas joined the audience in applause as the three left the floor the hazy blue lights fading into dim, almost black and the heavy metal music faded. "Wish me luck," he heard Axel whisper next to him before kissing him briefly and heading for the floor.

"Good luck," Roxas said, watching him go as the lights faded to pitch black. There was a silence in the audience for a moment, as they waited anxiously for the next act, hoping the show wasn't over.

Then they saw something, two hands illuminated by fire though nothing else could be seen. The hands clapped together once and raised up, four visible, thin strings falling from the ceiling and attaching to them and also to two feet which became visible as flames just like the hands.

It quickly became apparent to be a puppet like situation, the strings controlling and manipulating the invisible puppet, whose hands and feet showed the movement. The audience was silent as they watched the puppet's dance, unsure of what was going on and waiting on the edges of their seats to see how it played out. Then it made gesture of a bow and stood up straight again, grabbing onto the strings binding it and instantly the fires shot up them all the way to the ceiling, causing a loud and bright an electric explosion before everything went black again. The audience made worried noises, unsure of whether or not this was part of the act or an actual threat.

Their answer was provided when the four flaming body parts shot to four different sections of the big top and burst into many smaller fires, illuminating the floor and showing that there was a circie in the puppet's place, still holding the bow they'd seen earlier as the sitar on the wall began to play itself in a rapid tempo. The audience gave unmatched response to the magic, never before seeing such pyrotechnics.

Axel stood back up as the audience applauded, only to bend down and put his hands on the ground. Fire shot out from all directions on him, spreading across the floor and winding it's way up the walls and to the ceiling, raining down though vanishing before it touched the audience. Roxas watched unblinkingly in astound; while he had seen the circies practice this was the first time he'd seen a full-fledge act from Axel.

Axel effortlessly flipped and danced to evade the fires as they fell down to the floor, and when they all landed he spun once and they all returned to him and he fell back down into them. The audience held their breath, expecting him to surface with burns unmatchable though instead the flame grew and formed one large bird shaped form which took flight and Axel with it. It reached the ceiling and then vanished, leaving Axel to freefall back to the floor. He vanished though in a fiery explosion, drawing much response and praise from the audience.

Roxas' cheer turned into a yelp when he was grabbed from behind, looking over his shoulder only to see the redheaded pyro grinning broadly. "That was amazing!" Roxas said, turning and jumping up to hug him. Axel held onto him, the fading fires of the act disappearing to further hide them from any stray eye, which was probably a good thing when he decided to claim Roxas' lips for his own.

He drew back when the lights began to rise again and he let go of Roxas, ruffling a hand through his hair before saying, "Finale first, fun later." Roxas batted his hand away with a smile and looked over to see Riku was back out on the floor.

"Two hours ago you sat there wondering if you were going to regret this evening of 'sinful acts' so now here's the million dollar question: do you regret it?" he asked, looking around the audience. There was no answer, apparently none of them realized he wanted one, "I suppose you do." He was pleased when there was an uproar of contradiction and beckoned them quiet down, "So we've decided to close the show tonight, by showing you just how 'sinful' and 'heartless' we can be. Let that be the deciding factor in whether or not we are the creatures you've been warned about," for the first time Roxas felt a strong sense of intimidation shoot through him, and he hadn't realized he'd been looking right at his brother. He laughed in a rather maniac manner before the lights faded out only to shoot back up in a bright gold, and revealing Demyx playing away on the piano in a very lively light hearted tune; immediately killing the grimly forewarning.

"To Dance!" Riku declared, turning and holding a hand out to the back exit where the circies were and Kairi came running out leading the others as she cheered quickly with the music:

"_No way to make a living, masochisms, _

_Pain, perfection, _

_Muscle spasm, chiropractors, short- _

_Careers, eating disorders!"_

Literally as soon as she'd finished she pointed to Luxord and declared, "Film!" Roxas caught onto what was going on, it was an improv, and a rather quick one at that. Riku had started with a profession of theirs and Kairi had described it, and she had to very quickly in order to keep with the music Demyx provided. It looked like it had been practiced to the audiences' eyes, but Roxas could only imagine how difficult something like this was…then again the circies were quite good at thinking on their feet.

Luxord started and the circies scattered, showing off everything they had rapidly with the music, obviously having fun as he took center and shouted:

"_Adventure, tedium, no family, _

_Boring locations, _

_Dark rooms, perfect faces, egos, _

_Money, Hollywood and sleaze!"_

Roxas was absorbed in their finale until Axel grabbed his wrist and ran out onto the floor, turning to him and declaring the next one: "Music!" Ofcourse Roxas didn't have the slightest idea what to do and fortunately the others immediately caught onto it and Demyx took over, springing away from the instruments as they continued to play themselves and he ran up to Roxas, grabbing his hands and spinning circles with him as he giddily described the profession:

"_Food of love, emotion,_

_Mathematics, isolation, _

_Rhythm, power, feeling, harmony, _

_And heavy competition!"_

When he finished he hugged Roxas and pointed to Axel, nudging Roxas to let him know to choose something. The first thing Roxas thought of for them was: "Anarchy!"

The circies laughed a bit at the subject, Axel immediately turning to Riku and taking this one on as they both had the same thing in mind and were able to play off of that, pantomiming out a fight while saying:

"_Revolution! Justice, screaming _

_For solutions! _

_Forcing changes, risk, and danger _

_Making noise and making pleas!"_

It closed with Axel stage knocking Riku back and taking his hat but Xigbar caught him under the arms and tossed him back up, Axel tossing the hat back onto his head before turning to the audience and shouting: _"To weirdoes, sopranos, brats, cross dressers too!" _

Demyx ran past him, punching his fist into the air, "To me!" Larxene ran right behind him and jumped onto his back, hanging on piggy-back style and echoing,"To me!"

The scattered circies looked back to the two and Kairi proudly sang:

"_To people living with, living with, living with _

_No traces of unease!"_

Riku stepped towards the audience and held his hand out, grinning a bit:

"_Let he among us without sin _

_Be the first to condemn:"_

The circies knew exactly what came next, even Roxas, and sang: _"La vie boheme! La vie boheme! La vie boheme!"_

The instruments abruptly stopped and they all shouted: _"Viva! La vie boheme!"_

And then it was over. It was all over. There they were, taking their bows before an audience who had risen to their feet as they applauded and cheered; and they realized it was over. The show was over and their names had been washed of all the filth that had been created over the years, while Roxas had established a name of his own. The lights faded out and the circies disappeared through the back exit, laughing and rejoicing at their success.

Riku jumped up onto a crate of old costumes and maintaining his ringmaster demeanor, took off his top hat and declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, demons and sinners, we are now open in Twilight Town! What will become of us next only god knows."

Axel pushed him off the crate, "I know what comes of us next!" He jumped up onto the crate and announcing, "We get very drunk and celebrate!"

"What say Roxy? Any good places in town for an after party?" Larxene asked as she tumbled into the grass, rolling over beside him.

"I'm underage so I really don't know," Roxas admitted.

The circies laughed and Riku stood up from where Axel had pushed him off the crate, "Never stopped us before," he said, reminding Roxas that both he and Demyx were also underage; so was Kairi but she was pregnant so she couldn't drink anyway.

"There are restrictions in this world for minors," Kairi informed him.

"We could always just leave the _minors_ here," Axel taunted, nudging Riku to rub in the word. Riku pushed him off of the crate but Axel grabbed him and the two went tumbling into the grass, wrestling and rough housing while the others continued their conversation as if nothing were wrong.

"Let's just party here, there's booze and no rules," Luxord suggested.

"Yeah but who do we show off for then?" Xigbar asked.

Larxene rolled her eyes and sat up, "Tell you what. Get smashed and create your own little paparazzi. Besides…Would you two stop being so distracting!" she snapped, looking back over at Axel and Riku. Their rough housing ceased immediately, and it was obvious Axel had won as he had Riku pinned on his back and was sitting on him to try and keep him down. Though Axel had hold of both of his wrists, he only managed to keep one down while Riku's other hand had grabbed his shirt collar.

"What?" Riku asked, looking back over his shoulder at her, rather oblivious to whatever it was she found distracting.

"…Oh never mind. Go back to killing each other now," she said, laughing a bit at the humorous sight. The two were always like this. They could literally do anything together simply because they were more than best friends yet somehow managed to refrain from crossing the line into infatuation. Roxas was learning that quickly but sometimes had to remind himself about it.

"Nah, you've killed the fun now," Riku said, letting go of his shirt and rolling over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his hands. Axel didn't get off though he did let go of his wrist and allow him to roll over, "Were you saying something?"

"Let's have the after party here; by the time we find all the booze most of the people will be gone anyway. Let the interested ones hang with us for a while. After all, we've got a rep to build now what we've got a name," Larxene said. There was unanimous agreeance and while some headed straight to the train to find the booze and other items used in celebration, others mingled with the interested and interesting audience members that hung around after the show.

* * *

Within an hour the circies' grounds had become ground zero for the liveliest party in decades. The guest list was mostly occupied by the circies themselves, plus Roxas and a couple dozen people whom had been invited to join them for the evening. It was obvious a few outsiders had slipped in as well but the circies didn't care. 

Since it was outside and very late Axel had to create a few bonfires to lighten up the grounds and Vexen had enchanted a few of the instruments to play around outside while the partiers danced with no real rhyme or rhythm. It didn't matter though; everyone was having a good time. Demyx and Larxene had set up a makeshift platform, made out of empty crates and it was about the size of half a basketball court. The two danced wildly together on top of it along with other members of the lively youth, many intoxicated.

Marluxia, being withdrawn as ever had retired to bed, Luxord following suit since he was 'so damned anti-social' quote Luxord. Speaking of Luxord he and Xigbar had drawn quite a crowd with their drinking contest, each taking a shot and waiting to see who could hold their liquor the longest. Maybe it was because for the past three years the town had come to know Luxord as 'Professor J. Menzel,' that everyone was most surprised to see his circus antics.

Kairi, thinking ahead, had confiscated Xigbar's guns and hid them on the train already and was enjoying herself quite a lot as she danced around with the people she'd grown up with and hadn't seen for years.

She and Roxas were the only two there that hadn't touched the booze that night, and instead he followed Axel through the celebration. He'd been more observing than joining in the fun, simply because the insanity of the celebration was new and unfamiliar to him. Axel tried to get him to loosen up but was having difficulties, and not because of the beverages he'd consumed; as a matter of fact he was much more sober than many of the people there.

He loved Roxas but wished he would get into the swing of the party rather than follow quietly like an obedient dog. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and jumped up onto the crate-i-mi-form (as a very intoxicated Demyx had dubbed it) and grabbed Roxas' hands to pull him up.

"No-no-no-no," Roxas protested, trying to pull away but Axel was stronger and easily pulled him up and led him into the crowd of dancers.

"C'mon Roxy, it's a party, let's have fun," he insisted, letting go of one of his hands and spinning him twice on the other one. Roxas found that easy enough but when Axel let go of his hands he looked around to see what others were doing and what he should do. Axel realized what he was doing and put a hand on his head, guiding his eyes back to him, and with a grin he patted him on the head, "Loosen up and just move to the music, you'll be fine then." Roxas watched Axel dance for a few moments, considering looking around to see if it was like the others but the he remembered what he'd heard Riku say the first night he'd met the circies: _To being an us for once, instead of a them!_

When Axel looked back to Roxas he was glad to see he'd loosened up and was enjoying himself in his own dance to the music, "'Atta boy Roxy!" Roxas smiled and decided to show him what he knew. He took Axel's hands in his own and pulled away before coming back to him, going to the left while he went to the right. He drew back again and apparently Axel had caught on as he went the opposite and added to it by putting his arm over his head, Roxas doing the same despite the height difference and let go of his other hand and slid down his arm before spinning Roxas twice around that hand.

Kairi had seen them out of the corner of her eye and was glad to see they were happy. It really hadn't taken long for the news of their relationship to spread among the circies, even if the town knew nothing of it, "Yeah! Go guys!" she cheered for them. Her friends took notice too and before long they were the center of attention as they continued to dance.

Riku had actually just left the crate-i-mi-form for a few reasons: 1. For a drink 2. Girls were suffocating 3. He knew most of those girls had boyfriends, husbands, or 20 cats. Now they'd all shed bits and pieces of their costumes but somehow someone had completely swiped his jacket and his shirt was half tucked in, half out, with the sleeves pushed up and collar undone. He wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten messy but then again he never really paid attention at parties, even though he had barely touched the liquor.

There was a designated area where booze was distributed, which unfortunately had been right beside Luxord and Xigbar's drink-fest. Riku looked in the crate and was slightly miffed to see all the bottles were gone, "Did you two drink all that?" he asked, looking over at the two circies. Xigbar looked awful while Luxord looked very composed and dignified, despite having the same number of empty bottles on their sides of the table.

"They helped," Luxord said, waving a hand to those around them who all cheered and thrust their bottles into the air.

"Keheheh…heh…you've lost you're touch Luxord…keheh you're wavering I see it," Xigbar cackled, obviously he hadn't heard a word of what Riku said.

"…Did Kairi take his guns yet?" Riku asked, looking to Luxord for a hopeful yes.

Luxord nodded though Xigbar hadn't been paying attention to their words, "Three years made you weak…You're gonna—" but he didn't finish as he slumped forward, passing out on the table. The surrounding watchers all cheered for Luxord who stood up, very dignified, and took a bow. He looked fine but that clearly wasn't the case, because as soon as he took his bow he fell over dead drunk and out like a light.

Riku shook his head and laughed at them; you figure they would have learned their lesson about falling asleep drunk after what happened this morning. As two more contestants took on the drinking competition Riku headed off to find another crate of booze. If this party ran as late as their usual ones they'd need at least two more. There were always some in the back of the big top, so in case of a successful show they could immediately start the celebration backstage.

He pried the lid off one and took out one of the bottles, sitting down on the ground to enjoy it without the mob of girls he'd been dealing with all evening. Ofcourse he always enjoyed female company, whether in bed or elsewhere, but tonight he just wanted to celebrate their success.

"I thought you'd be partying with the others."

Riku didn't bother getting up because he knew there was no sense in it, "I was, but two demons drank all the booze."

"You mean Xigbar and Luxord."

When Riku heard that he grinned a little, "So you don't think we're evil?"

"They aren't, you are," The visitor came over and took the bottle from him, looking at the label before handing it back to him, "Aren't you too young for that?"

"Aren't you too young to tell me what to do?" Riku asked, taking the bottle back, "Besides, it's not like I'm going to drive anytime soon."

"One benefit to the circie life I suppose," the visitor said, taking another bottle from the crate and sitting down next to him.

"There are more, you just don't know about them," Riku said, looking over and noticing the bottle, "You talk about me being too young. Hypocrite."

Sora popped the cap off and took a swig, "I think I'm the only one breaking a rule here though," he pointed out.

"For a rich kid you're pretty underhanded," Riku laughed before hearing a crash from the other side of the big top where the celebration raged of. Sora jumped but he told him, "Demyx fell through the crate-i-mi-form." Sora seemed content with that explanation and returned to his drink. "So was I right?"

Sora looked over, cocking his head, "About what?"

"The show. Did it clear up the rumors?" Riku asked.

Sora seemed to think about it for a moment before he stood up and started to walk off. When he realized he wasn't going to get an answer Riku sighed and called after him, "Are you going to at least give me back my notebook?"

Sora stopped and looked back, "Why should I? It was insurance."

"Insurance for what?" Riku wasn't so much annoyed as curious as to how he saw this all.

Sora grinned and plainly said, "Your show didn't prove all the rumors wrong."

Riku wasn't fazed, in fact he mimicked Sora's grin, "I never said they would prove them wrong, I just said it would clear them up." He was right and Sora realized he had him cornered but didn't seem to mind that he'd tricked him, "Are we not dark creatures the likes you've never seen? Face it; some of those rumors are true." There was a bit of a silence before Sora realized he was right, even if it wasn't pleasant to admit. Riku stood up and held his hand out to take the notebook back but Sora shook his head.

"You're still forgetting one, and you don't get it back until you prove it true or false," Sora said. But when Riku asked what it was Sora shook his head and smiled, "Don't worry about it for now. Go enjoy the party and you can tell me later."

Sora made it a few feet away before Riku stopped him, "Where do you think you're going? It is an open party, come join us." He grinned a little and sang: _Join us, leave your fields to flower._

"Stop singing," Sora said, rolling his eyes and coming back.

His resentment only made Riku continue: _Join us, leave your dreams to sour._

"Keep singing and you'll wish this was a dream," Sora threatened, even if he was amused by his antics.

_Join us, come and waste an hour or two…_ Riku stopped when Sora handed him the notebook he was carrying, and he looked at him rather confused.

"That was the last one," Sora said before explaining, "It's true that circus demons don't know when to shut-up." They exchanged a laugh before heading back around to the other side of the big top to enjoy the rest of the party.

* * *

So hours passed, and Sora got into the party spirit and a little drunk. After another hour…well Sora was really drunk. The crowd was thinning out and even the circies were getting tired, whereas little crocked Sora was far from ready to stop. 

"I should probably take him home…" Roxas said. He was horribly embarrassed by his drunken brother's antics as he sat on the crate-i-mi-form completely sober with a slightly tipsy Axel at his side.

"Let him have fun, stay for a while longer," Axel pleaded in a whiny tone, holding onto him close. He'd drunk quite a lot though wasn't too fazed by the booze, just more openly affectionate.

Roxas laughed at his childish tone and snuggled closer against him, "I would but he'll throw a bitch fit if he wakes up here with a hangover."

"As opposed to in bed?" Axel mumbled, nuzzling against his neck.

"See if he wakes up there he's got maids to bring him sleeping pills and ease the bitch fit, whereas if he wakes up here he'll just end up getting shot by Riku," Roxas said as he recalled the 'homicidal pissy' morning Riku he'd witnessed when Luxord returned.

"Stay Roxy," Axel whined, but before Roxas could answer Axel kissed his neck, "Please."

Roxas was a bit shocked from Axel's action but before he could respond he heard Riku say, "I'll take him home if you want to stay."

Roxas looked over his shoulder and saw him standing there with an unlit cigarette between his lips and wondered how long he'd been there. His face flushed when he saw him wink, as if letting him know that he knew just how much Roxas wanted to stay with Axel, "Trust me, with this crowd I'm used to putting drunks to bed." He really hadn't had more than two drinks that evening, too distracted with available girls and keeping Sora from starting a streak fest, so he was practically sober; much to his dismay.

"Thanks," Roxas said while flashing him a tired smile.

Riku nodded and patted him on the shoulder, "You did well tonight Roxy, don't act surprised when we use you in the next show." Then he looked to Axel and said warningly, "And you, no more booze. Be good to Roxy."

Axel groaned and rolled his eyes, "Yes mom," he mocked, reaching over to light the end of his cigarette. Riku nodded with gratitude before going off to find the drunk he had to take home…that wasn't too hard though as he was dancing with no music on top of the table still littered with the drinking contest's empty bottles.

Axel and Roxas watched him easily grab the drunk and carry him off despite the random crude shouting that resulted. "I probably should have warned him that he bites…" Roxas said thoughtfully.

Axel shrugged and sighed, "That's okay, so does Riku…"

Roxas put his head against Axel's, smirking a bit as he mocked him, "If you're so tired why did you want me to stay?"

"I told you I'm not all kinks Roxy. Just want to spend more time with you… and plus you're more fun to cuddle," Axel mumbled distortedly.

Roxas was flattered but then wondered, "More fun than who?"

Axel obviously wasn't making it up since the answer came so easily, "Pillows I call Roxy on those nights you decide to go home."

Roxas laughed and hugged him, but Axel got up and wrapped an arm around him as he led him back to the train, "C'mon, I know a few things you can do that a pillow can't."

"Axel!" Roxas said, crossing his arms and looking at him with embarrassed shock.

"I mean cuddle back! Geeze Roxy you perv," Axel teased, grinning broadly to let him know he was just playing around. That was who he was, the same person that Roxas had come to fall in love with.

* * *

"I'm Cornel Sanders!" 

"No, you're drunk and if you don't be quiet your dad's going to find out."

"Bah…Now I'm a sheep!"

Getting a completely wasted Sora home was a much more difficult task than Riku had imagined, despite it being so early everyone was off the streets, "Well be a quiet sheep," he scolded, dropping him when they reached the mansions front door, "And you say I don't know when to shut up." He was about to leave, seeing as he'd fulfilled his task of taking him home, but he saw Sora was just sitting there giggling on the ground rather than unlocking the door and going inside, "You're the worst drunk I've ever met," and that was saying something since Xigbar had held the title for the 6 years he'd known him.

"Am I a pretty drunk?" Sora asked with a grin when Riku came back over.

"You're beautiful, now give me your keys," the fact that he was tired made his patience slim though he found Sora's drunken antics quite humorous because it completely shattered the rich egotistical boy visage he'd held up until now.

To keep him quiet on the trip up to his room, Riku tied a sock around his mouth since Sora had somehow lost one of his shoes at the party and it was the easiest thing to gag him with. It came off when he got him to his room and put him down on the bed. As soon as he was free though Sora grabbed the side of the sheet and rolled himself up in it, "Now I'm toilet paper!"

Riku laughed and wished he had a camera, for nobody would believe him if he told them what happened, "Beautiful, drunk, toilet paper, sheep, and Cornel Sanders? An identity crisis just waiting to explode."

"BOOM!" Sora rolled himself off the bed and landed on the floor with a thud, "I exploded," he said before going into a giggle fit.

"You laugh like a girl," Riku told him as he tried to help him out of the sheet.

"Am I a pretty girl?" Sora asked, poking his head out of the sheets with a grin.

"The most hideous I've met," Riku said, though his attempts to help Sora out of the sheet were cut short when he slid himself out and hid under them, "Ever look in a mirror?"

"That was mean," Riku said, sitting down on the floor and crossing his arms, "You're a mean drunk."

"You've got girly hair," Sora snorted, obviously giggling again as the sheets on top of him shook.

Riku put a foot on his side and rolled Sora over and out from under the sheets, "I like my hair thank you."

"You're welcome!" Sora said in a very chipper tone as he hopped back on top of the sheets, sitting and hugging his knees to his chest with a grin.

"And you're drunk," Riku insisted before grabbing the ends of the sheet and getting up, sweeping Sora up in the makeshift bag. Sora giggled squealed like a monkey as he thrashed about, finally ripping the sheet and he fell through and landed on the bed.

"I win. Now go to bed," Riku told him, tossing the torn sheet back over him.

Sora sighed, the struggle had drained his energy quickly and he was getting tired, "Don't want to," he mumbled before pushing the sheet off and to the ground. He liked to annoy the circie but was disappointed when he gave up and headed for the door, "Hey! Don't leave!"

"I'm tired, you're drunk, I'm leaving," Riku said flatly, his patience had worn thin and he wasn't in the mood to deal with this anymore.

"If you're tired then go sleep here," Sora said, his grammar suffering from the intoxication too, but that aside he didn't want him to leave.

Riku shook his head, "You'll wake up and be pissy, I don't want to be within a mile radius of you when that happens."

"C'mon pwese! I'll be asleep before you anyway and then you can leave," Sora whined, hugging his pillow and pouting, "Please, please, please, please, plea-"

"Shut-up!" Riku barked, silencing Sora immediately. The drunk rolled over to face the wall quietly, obviously put in his place. Riku grinned however, glad one short intimidating tone was enough to quiet him. He came back over and picked up the sheets, covering him up but noticing something he hadn't expected: he looked genuinely hurt, and sad.

Sora grinned though when he felt him get on the bed and pull the sheet up over him. He rolled over and stuck his tongue out at him, laughing a little with the delight of winning the standoff. "Shut-up," Riku sighed, putting a hand on his head and pushing him away.

* * *

Ok before I forget! My darling little friend Mitch would kill me if I didn't tell you that the dance that Roxas and Axel did is called the pretzel and it's incredibly fun, but REALLY hard to describe! Mitch taught it to me at the cast party and it made me dizzy. I cant really say when the next chapter will be finished but trust me I have it planned already and let's just say it's...well it's it. I'd love to tell you all about it but I love surprises too much! Since I probably wont have it done by Christmas I'll go ahead and wish you happy holidays now! Thank you guys sooo much for taking the time to read and a million more thank yous and hugs to those of you who review! Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world! 

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	10. Sidestory: 'Twas The Night

Haha! I know you are expecting a chapter here, and I'm sorry to disapppoint you but that is not what this is. This is a merry Christmas from me to you! I wanted to let everyone know I have not forgotten about you this holiday! So I have two gifts for you! The first is the latest picture I added to my DA (You can get there through my profile! Clickie the homepage!) and it was made just for you wonderful readers and reviewers!

But that is not all! Presenting to you: **'Twas the Night Before Christmas…CIRCIE STYLE!!!**

* * *

Twas the night before Christmas when all o'er the grounds, 

All the circies were stirring and eager to be found.

Good o'l St. Nick was on his way all dressed up in red,

It was his fault the circies just couldn't get to bed!

They'd been good all year though some would disagree,

So Santa they were eager to see.

Demyx wanted a bunny, for heaven knows what,

Though his childish outbursts were quite the smut.

Riku and Axel's impatience had caused them a lot of muck,

They'd cut down a Christmas tree, which crushed a man's truck.

Now Larxene had tried backing cookies with Kairi's aid,

Though by the time it was over they needed a fire brigade.

Luxord and Xigar were drinking again, surprisingly, patiently, waiting,

For you see the alcohol proved to be very sedating.

"You think that he'll really come?" asked Demyx once or twice,

He was giddily waiting and hoping Santa knew he'd been nice.

"Ofcourse he'll come!" Axel told him with a pat on the head,

"He promised he would back in Christmas Land," he said.

"It happens only once a year, so why shouldn't he?"

Luxord noted, "He'll come just you wait and see."

So they waited and waited, for seven hours more,

And as the sun came up they were making plans of war.

"How could he forget us?" Larxene barked, as mad as a bear,

"I don't get it, why didn't he come? This just isn't fair!"

"December 24th comes once a year," Riku was also peeved,

"The only time he's got to do anything is on Christmas Eve!"

"December 24th?" Demyx asked as he ran over to the wall,

"This isn't right!" everyone jumped at his shrill call.

He examined the calendars, one for each world they visited,

"It's Christmas in Radiant Garden, not here," he insisted.

There was a long silence, broken abruptly and they tried with all their might

Not to laugh at the two poorly caroling circies, wasted just like their night.

* * *

While the circies may not have Christmas tomorrow, we do! 

So I wish a merry Christmas to each and every one of you :)

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	11. Heartthrobs and Hangovers

Hiya everyone! Hope you have a good holiday, I know I did! Okay so I'm very surprised I have this done but somehow right before Christmas I got this whirl of inspiration and just fabricated this so quickly! I'm sorry I haven't replied to the reviews from the last chapter yet, I truly love you all for them but I haven't really the time with the busy busyness of Christmas and other events, but I promise I will do so as soon as possible. Unfortunately tonight is probably my last chance for free time because tomorrow I'm going to be at the theater all day and heading to San Francisco Friday (that will probably flop though XD CURSE YOU MITCH!!! You lose 4 love points!!!) Rightio, enough of my ranting, I just have one more thing to say before I pass you on to the new chapter.

I mentioned this in the last chapter but decided to keep bringing it up until the closing day. I have decided to have a **contest!** Many people are fascinated by the circies costumes and while I have sketches of theirs, which I have just posted at my homepage (linked in my profile) and I invite you to look at, I really haven't made a specific one for little Roxy! Thus I am leaving this open for your imaginations! Feel free to **draw circie-Roxy however you imagine him** and then send me the link through a pm, email, or just an irrelavent review if you'd like. I'll close this contest at the end of January so you have pleanty of time, and the person who best depicts circie-Roxy will not only recieve a lifetime supply or hugs, but their circie-Roxy's outfit will be the official one used for any performance he does! Good luck and love to all of you!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Heartthrobs and Hangovers**

Roxas didn't know what is was, but something about Axel's room made him feel safe. He'd spent many nights there with him and never once did he feel out of place or unwelcome. But there was definitely something different about it tonight, "What happened here?" he asked when he opened the door and saw the mess of clothes on the floor.

"I couldn't find my shoes," Axel explained with an embarrassed grin.

Somehow Roxas wasn't surprised; organization wasn't a strength of his. He didn't mind the mess though and instead went over and sat on the bed with a tired yawn. Axel came over though, took his hands, and pulled him to his feet and led him into a dance. Roxas was tired though and stumbled in an almost zombie like manner, "Where'd you get the sudden burst of energy?" he mumbled, letting Axel lead him limply.

"Booze burns off quickly for me," he told him with a smile, enjoying the fact Roxas was practically a rag doll.

"Figures," Roxas sighed with a small smile, leaning against him tiredly, "You're not going to talk all night are you?"

"Probably," he said bluntly. Roxas laughed a bit and didn't protest when Axel picked him up and carried him over to the bed. He curled up comfortably on his side under the sheets and watched Axel climb onto the other side and stretch out on his stomach, "So how was it?"

Roxas vaguely heard him through his sleep and mumbled a reply, "What?"

"The show, what did you think?"

The question made him smile and Roxas said, "It made me see why you guys do this for a living."

"You're going to help with the last three right?"

Roxas opened his eyes and looked at him oddly, "Last three?"

Axel returned the look, "Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Friday."

That's when it hit him, those were the last three shows! The circies had been here two weeks already and the end of the month was next Saturday! Apparently Axel caught onto what Roxas had just realized, as he rolled over next to him and wrapped his long arms around him. Roxas held onto him tightly, as if afraid he'd be taken away if he let go and he quickly hid his face in his chest. Axel could feel him shaking and put a hand on the back of his head, "Hey it had to come eventually, right?"

He was right but Roxas couldn't help but hope that this happiness would never end…but it was! What was he going to do when the circies were gone? Every aspect of his life had somehow gotten entangled with them over the month and just the thought of their departure was making him cry, "I…it's not fair…" And what about Axel? He loved him. What was going to happen to them?

Axel held him as he cried, unsure of what else to do now; he was just as confused as Roxas. They each had lives to live and there was really no telling when they'd be back together again, "It'll be okay, you'll see."

Roxas finally looked up at him, his eyes red from tears, "Let me come with you."

Axel shook his head though and insisted, "You can't."

"Stop saying that!" Roxas pulled away from him and sat up, his outburst shocking Axel, "Everyone says I can't! It's my life isn't it? I can do what I want with it! So why Axel? Why can't I—" He was silenced though when Axel sat up and grabbed the sides of his face and pulled his lips to his, "…Axel," he mumbled against his lips but when he did Axel's tongue delved in and claimed his mouth. He was shocked for a moment but melted into the new sensation, wrapping his arms around his shoulders to hold him close.

Roxas whined a little when Axel withdrew from his mouth and he looked up at him longingly. "It's not that you can't…It's just we don't want you to throw your life away Roxy," Axel said quietly. Roxas didn't say anything, how could he think that going with them would be throwing his life away? "You've got a bright future and family that loves you Roxy."

"I can have the same thing with you though," Roxas insisted quickly.

"Maybe so, but think. Can you really ask us to let you give all that up?" Axel asked, "And what happens if it's a wrong choice? Then we'd be the ones to blame."

That's just what he was doing. Roxas realized that was just what he'd been doing and felt horrible, "I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, hiding his face in Axel's shoulder.

Axel held onto him for a few minutes, not sure what he could do to help him. Then it hit him and he lifted Roxas' face back up to meet his eyes, "We'll be back next summer, until then I want you to make the best of life just like we taught you…And then, if you choose to, you can come with us."

Roxas' face instantly lit up, "A-are you serious?"

Axel smiled and wiped away the tears on his face, "Dead. You'll be finished with school and 18 by then, you'll be free to do what you want."

He couldn't believe this and was barely able to control his happiness, "Then I can come with you?" Axel nodded and Roxas laughed in delight, cuddling against him with a grin, "I'm holding you to that!"

"And I'm not letting go," Axel said, smiling with the resolution. He could wait. It wouldn't be easy but he would wait as long as it took for Roxas to be his again, "Ever."

"Hey! Why are we worrying now? If I've only got a week to tide me over for a year then there's no time for worrying!" Roxas said, absolutely zealous as he got up and grabbed Axel's hands, "C'mon! You wanted to dance right?"

Axel whined and didn't get up, he just flopped over on the bed, "Aw but I'm tired," he sighed, deliberately mimicking Roxas.

Roxas caught on and jumped onto his stomach, "Such a party pooper!" he huffed.

Axel grabbed him though and rolled him over, pinning him to the bed with a grin, "Be nice Roxy."

"Or else what?" Roxas asked, though his answer was a passion filled kiss to which he responded to immediately. He gasped when he felt Axel's hand slide up under his shirt but soon realized the hand wasn't going for what he thought, and instead tickled his side and sent him on a wild giggle fit.

* * *

God how his head hurt. Sora felt incredibly ill in the morning, his entire body was sore and clammy and he kept his eyes shut to block out the sunlight flooding the room. He rolled over and bumped into something, putting a hand up and smiling when he felt the warmth of another's flesh. Now he was well aware he'd gotten very drunk last night, otherwise he wouldn't have such a horrible hangover or very hazy memories. He traced a finger up the visitor's cheek and through their hair, smiling still when he heard them wake up, "Did you enjoy last night?" he asked. 

"Get your hand off me."

Sora immediately opened his eyes, yelping when he saw it wasn't a girl he'd been sharing a bed with, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Apparently sleeping off an 'enjoyable' night," Riku said, sitting up groggily.

Sora quickly shoved him out of bed and backed away, "Get out!"

Riku didn't sit up, quite tired still and finding the floor comfortable. He laughed a bit at Sora though and what he thought happened over his drunken evening. Feeling cruel he decided to use this to his advantage, "Oh, you don't remember?"

"There's nothing to remember," Sora snapped, obviously trying to convince himself of that.

Riku chuckled and sat up, resting his chin on the bed with a catty grin, "You said you'd always remember the way I made you feel."

Sora pushed him away and pulled the sheet around him, shrieking though when he saw the rip. "Yeah, you're pretty rough in bed." When Riku said it Sora threw the sheet away and backed against the wall, white as the sheets he was sitting on.

Riku fell back laughing, Sora was far too easy to fool, "You're a moron!" He stood up, laughing a bit more when Sora backed himself further against the wall, "I'm not sure about you, but I don't get dressed after sex," Sora was obviously still edgy but felt better when he realized they were both still fully clothed, "Besides, _you're_ the one that asked me to stay," Riku reminded him.

"Well you can leave now!" Sora spat, glaring at him as if he were a hideous creature from under a rock.

Riku shrugged and tossed the sheet back to him, "You're meaner sober than you are drunk," he said on his way to the door.

"Tell my brother to come home," Sora ordered without even looking at him.

Now if there was one thing Riku wasn't good at it was taking orders, and when Sora said that he stopped and turned back, "No."

Sora looked at him with disbelief in his eyes, "Excuse me?"

Riku sat down right there and crossed his arms, "You're excused."

"I said tell my brother to come home," Sora said, not finding this the least bit amusing; especially with the way he felt.

"And I said no," Riku could tell Sora was getting annoyed quickly but even then he wasn't about to take orders from him, "If you'd said please I might have said yes."

"Listen here you, I—"

"Am very personality challenged?" Riku finished Sora's sentence with a question, "Yeah I've noticed. Ever plan on fixing that?"

Sora was at a loss of words, appalled by the words, "How dare you?"

"It was just a question. I mean your brother said you were a cheerful jock with a knack for showing off, I personally thought you were laid back and had a superiority complex, but now you're just a bitch with a hangover who gives orders without even saying please," Riku said with a shrug, "Don't know about you but I'd get pretty sick of trying to be at least three different people, not counting the drunk ofcourse."

Sora just gaped at him for a moment, sure he had a point and he realized that but it sounded like he was mocking him for it, "You had a life once too, don't you dare say you didn't change yourself."

Much to his surprise Riku laughed and shook his head, "You can't call what I used to have a life."

Sora cocked his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Does it matter?" Riku asked. Sora looked like he was going to say something, but then his stomach lurched and he put a hand over his mouth, feeling horrible ill. "Let's get that hangover fixed."

Sora flopped back onto bed, watching him get up, "There are pills in the medicine cabinet."

Riku assumed that meant this wasn't the first time that Sora had gotten horribly smashed and woken up ill, "They take too long." Sora whined in protest, wishing he'd just bring him the pills like he wanted rather than rummage through the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later but Sora didn't see what he had, "Open your mouth," Sora did as he was told but nearly spat it back out when he tasted it.

"Don't swallow, just suck on it," Riku said shortly, keeping his hand over Sora's mouth to keep him from spitting it out. Despite the disgusting taste, Sora did as he was told and was surprised when after only a minute or so he felt great and Riku took his hand off, "Now go spit it out the window." Sora was about to take it out when Riku stopped him, "No, just go spit it out the window."

He was confused but got up and did as he was told, spitting it off the balcony and catching a glimpse of the red wet glob of material. "Peppermint and Benedril wrapped in a cotton ball," Riku told him, laughing at the disgusted look on Sora's face, "It's an old quick circie chaser."

Sora was repulsed but would be lying if he said he didn't feel better, "So why did I have to spit it out the window?"

"Because if you spat it in the garbage can you'd have to see what it was."

Sora laughed at the reasoning but somewhat expected it, "So?"

"So what?"

"So what did you mean about the life you had?" Sora was actually interested, despite his behavior all morning.

"I told you, it doesn't matter." Riku brushed the topic off so easily Sora had to know now and he leaned back against the railing of the balcony, "C'mon, tell me."

"It'll ruin your day," Riku warned him as he pulled out his packet of cigarettes and came out onto the balcony to light it.

"I plan to spend today in bed anyway, I don't think there's anyway you can ruin it," Sora assured him.

Riku lit his cigarette and took a drag, thinking about it for a moment, "You're 18 right?" When Sora nodded Riku seemed to think for a moment longer before saying, "Well while you were celebrating your 3rd birthday I was attending the funeral of a much hated mother who abandoned me a year earlier and left me with an abusive father."

Sora quirked his eyebrow, assuming he was lying since he said it so nonchalantly, "That's not funny to joke about."

Riku turned on him smirking a little, "You think I'm kidding?"

"I know you're kidding," Sora insisted. He was a bit confused when Riku pulled up his shirt, revealing a long scar across a well toned torso. "That's from the first time he tried to kill me."

Sora wasn't sure whether this was a joke or not anymore, "How do I know you're telling the truth."

Much to his surprise Riku merely shrugged and put his shirt down, "You don't. I'm just telling you what happened," he said, leaning back against the railing and bringing the cigarette to his lips.

Sora didn't say anything for quite some time, finding his story difficult to believe. He certainly didn't act like someone who'd had a traumatizing past, especially one like that he'd described. "So…hypothetically, if that was what happened then how come you don't act like it."

"Well when I got older and could fight back I ran away, met Axel and never looked back," he summed up the rest of his years quickly and very vaguely though still didn't seem bothered by it, "He taught me that you can't let the past keep you down."

"Are you two…um…did you guys ever…?" Sora trailed off, finding his question almost embarrassing.

Riku just laughed, "Aw, poor little virgin is afraid of the s word."

"Shut-up!" Sora snapped, getting up off the railing and heading back inside. Riku followed with a grin, flicking his cigarette off the balcony on his way. Sora noticed that he never gave an answer but was too embarrassed now to ask again.

"Well I'm off," Riku said as he headed for the door.

Sora was still flustered and his face was flushed when he said, "I could have told you that."

"Coming to the show tonight?" Riku asked, ignoring the snide remark.

"I hate seeing the same thing twice," Sora replied shortly.

Riku nodded, "So do we, that's why we have a different act for every show we do in a world. We'll use these four in others but our audience will never see the same show twice."

Sora was actually surprised when he heard that, "I suppose I could come…"

"You'll have the same seat, but Roxy's going to be with us again tonight," Riku told him, taking his 'I suppose' for a yes. He was almost out of the room when Sora stopped him, "Thanks." Riku was confused and he looked back for an explanation. "You guys really helped him…" It may not have been very obvious, and he rarely showed it, but he really did care about his brother and wanted him to be happy.

"What about you?" Riku asked, "Did we help you?" Sora didn't answer, and after a moment Riku chuckled as if he had an idea all to himself, "Interesting…" he said before leaving without another word. Sora stood there, trying to figure out what he meant. They hadn't done anything for him. Sure Riku proved the rumors wrong…or actually 'cleared them up,' but that hadn't helped him.

* * *

"Costume call!" 

The loud yell from outside woke Roxas from the best sleep he'd ever had, and he groggily whined and snuggled closer to Axel, "Make Larxene shut-up."

"You'd have better luck eating an elephant," Axel replied, not even moving to acknowledge the call.

Apparently she'd started at the front of the car with Riku's room and was making her way down, "C'mon everyone, we've got a show today and I'm not working with you if you smell like last night's booze and sweat!" she shouted as she headed for Demyx's room.

"Axel do I smell?" Roxas mumbled tiredly. He didn't get an answer, obviously Axel had gone back to sleep despite the yelling just outside the room.

The door opened a few minutes later and Larxene came in, one hand over her eyes and with the other dragging a wicker basket, "Alright, since you're both naked already just point to where the costumes got thrown," she said as she walked in and parted two fingers to see through with one eye for direction.

"Don't take us for such whores," Axel mumbled, sticking his leg out from under the sheet to show that he still had on his pants.

"Impressive!" she laughed and put the basket down on the floor, "Rightio! Hand them over. You too Roxy."

Roxas sat up and looked in the basket, spotting Demyx's costume in the bottom and realizing what he was supposed to do. "Always have to ruin the morning don't you?" Axel asked as he got out of bed and pulled off his shirt.

Larxene grinned and sat down on the messy floor, leaning over the basket, "Yup. Speaking of ruining the morning, where's Riku?"

"He's not back yet?" Roxas was surprised and somewhat worried, "He took my brother home last night."

"The drunk guy?" Larxene asked, and when Roxas nodded degradedly she couldn't help but laugh.

Axel tossed his shirt over the bed and it landed in the basket, "Probably found a girl, he'll be back soon."

Larxene realized he had a point and shrugged off his absence, "C'mon Roxy, costume time," she said as she clapped the sides of the basket.

Roxas shook his head though, "It's okay, I'll just keep this on," he said, reminding her that he didn't have a change of clothes.

"You can borrow some of my clothes, trust me, you smell just as bad as the rest of us," Axel said bluntly. Roxas looked back to him and was a bit shocked as he caught him dropping his pants.

"They're called boxers Roxy," Larxene laughed when she caught him staring. Roxas' face flushed and the two circies laughed at his embarrassment, "Tell you what Roxy, I'll leave. You guys just leave the basket outside when you're done," and she skipped off with a laugh, shutting the door behind her.

Axel tossed his pants into the basket and rummaged through the mess of clothes on the floor and handed him a shirt and pants, "Here, the bathrooms are up the hall," he told him before digging around to find another set of clothes to wear. He heard Roxas get off the bed but when the door didn't open he looked back and grinned when he saw him undressing right there. He got his top off and noticed Axel watching him and grinning like a cat, "What?" he asked with a false sense of naivety.

"Nothing," Axel said, getting up off the floor and going over to the other side of the room. Roxas dropped his top into the basket and glanced back over at Axel before taking off his pants. Again Axel was staring and Roxas quickly looked away, pretending like he didn't care, and pretending very poorly at that. He got them off and dropped them into the basket before reaching for the clothes he was given.

Despite his attempts Axel could still tell he was uneasy and laughed, and that was the last thing Roxas heard before a set of arms wrapped around him and pulled him back. Roxas couldn't help but sigh distortedly from the mesmeric feeling of flesh on flesh. Axel reached past him and picked up a shirt for him, "You try too hard Roxy," he teased while pulling the shirt over his head.

Roxas sighed and put his arms through the sleeves, unsure of what he'd even been trying to do and imagined he'd looked like a fool doing it. "Play cute, not sexy," Axel said, kissing his cheek before getting up. Roxas rolled his eyes with a smile, getting up and pulling on the pants. He wasn't surprised Axel's clothes were far too long for him and he rolled up the pants legs numerous times just to get them at his ankles and the shirt sleeves reached a good length below his fingertips. When Axel got on pants he looked back to Roxas he laughed at how ridiculous he looked. "Hey, you looked funnier in mine," Roxas said defensively.

"Well once you're a circie you'll get used to our style quickly," Axel told him as he pulled on a shirt and came over take the basket out.

Roxas smiled broader at that as he remembered what Axel told him last night. He followed at his side, "Next summer," he said happily, "You sure it'll be okay with the others?"

"They love you too Roxy, just without the benefits I get," Axel said, ruffling his free hand through the blond mess of hair.

"That's right, I can't do this with them," he said before taking the hand off of his head and leaning up to kiss him. But the moment was ruined when the door flew open and nailed Axel in the back of the head, knocking him forward into Roxas and the three of them (Axel, Roxas, and the laundry basket) went tumbling to the floor.

"Are you done yet? I would like to—" Larxene had come in to collect the basket and her eyes grew wide when she saw Roxas lying on the ground, his pants had slid down since they were too big and while one hand was still holding Axel's the other had gone up to cover where he'd been hit on the back of the head. Axel wasn't any better though, lying on top of him with his head bent down close to his neck and his free hand clenching a pile of clothes nearby. There was a brief silence and they both looked up at her just in time to see her shriek, "Ew! I walked in on guy sex!" and before they could say, or do, anything, she grabbed the laundry basket and ran out, slamming the door behind her.

Roxas and Axel didn't say anything for a minute, the situation almost cruelly humorous. Finally Roxas laughed and Axel joined in, but he quickly stopped when it hurt the back of his head even more. Roxas quickly realized he was in pain stopped, "Are you alright?"

"I'll survive…maybe," he said. If Axel still felt well enough to make jokes then Roxas knew he'd be okay and he smiled and pulled his head down so Axel's head was on his chest and he could kiss where he'd been hurt, "Better?"

Axel grinned and slid his arm under him, nuzzling into his chest before saying, "Much." It tickled and he laughed into Axel's hair, entangling a hand in the red mess while the other circled around the back of his neck and held onto him. Larxene had been wrong, there was no 'guy sex' just the two of them, content just like that.

* * *

Well how was that? I couldn't believe how quickly it came to me and I've actually been spinning in my chair tweaking this for errors for a couple of days now and finally decided that it was okay to post it! I really hope you guys like it and it wasn't a mistake to post this now, because I certainly didn't think so. I would love to hear what you think though because personally I loved this one, so please review! Also I am pleased to say I'm nearly finished with the next chapter! 

I do have a question though! Are any of you expecting a lemon? This is rated M and one of the genres is romance so I suppose it's possible, I just want to know if anyone would be terribly offended or stop reading if I did decide to write one in a distant chapter...or at least attempt to write one XD I'm not too experienced in that field of writing but if the time is right then I suppose I should at least try!

Rightio! That about wraps this up! Thank you for taking the time to read and please take the time to review, as I love them so much. Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	12. Always Be Mine

Excuse me while I die! 100 reviews! Are you serious! AHHHH!!! Hugs for everyone! Oh I love all of you! This is unbelievable! Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!! Now for…Aw who am I kidding I still have so much thanking to do! Okay, but I'm not going to chase you off with excessive hugs and praise but I will find some way to thank you guys!

Right! So I've realized that this site hasn't been working that great on sending out alerts, and I'm hoping that's fixed now. Also I didn't get email notification of your reviews and didn't realize I'd gotten any until a few days ago when I checked the status of this story XD I was so shocked! Haha, thank you again guys, and I'm sorry I haven't replied to them yet but with two shows and a full course load on my plate I haven't really had the time to reply, let alone sleep. And since I'm not sure how messed up this site is now, I'm not sure if you guys got them yet but I have replied to all chapter 10 reviews. Loved them all very much!

Oh dear I'm ranting, right, onto the important stuff. **WARNING!!!! **This chapter has…well…content that makes this an M story. I'd tell you what that is but I'm not going to ruin this chapter, let's just say it's new and leave it at that for now.

Again mentioning the** CONTEST! **I really haven't made a specific costume for little Roxy! Thus I am leaving this open for your imaginations! Feel free to draw circie-Roxy however you imagine him and then send me the link through a pm, email, or just an irrelevant review if you'd like. I'll close this contest at the end of January so you have plenty of time, and the person who best depicts circie-Roxy will not only receive a lifetime supply or hugs, but their circie-Roxy's outfit will be the official one used for any performance he does! Good luck and love to all of you!

**SIDENOTE!!! **_Everything written like this happened at an earlier time_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Always Be Mine**

Roxas sat there at the foot of his bed silently, staring at the floor dazedly and still unable to comprehend all that had happened over the past 24 hours, _'…What's going to happen now?' _he thought. He wasn't sad though, in fact he couldn't feel anything. Nothing at all.

"_Get off!!!"_

"_Get the fuck off of him!"_

"_Axel! Stop!"_

"_Bravo! You've stated the obvious again!"_

"_Stop fighting!"_

The memories hurt and he hugged his knees to his chest, wishing he could just forget. He heard his door open and was grateful to whoever it was for taking his mind off the thoughts, if only just for a brief moment. "Roxas?"

Roxas looked back to his brother, forcing a false smile. While they might not have been the tightest of siblings Sora was always there when he needed him. But not tonight, Roxas didn't need him tonight; he wanted to be left alone even though he wouldn't say it. Sora came in and shut the door behind him before crossing over to the bed and sitting down beside him, "Dad just called," Roxas didn't say anything though and Sora was silent too; he had been there and understood why Roxas didn't want to talk, "…Are you okay?"

Roxas didn't answer though. Was he okay? He couldn't even answer that question himself, "…It wasn't Axel's fault…" he finally said quietly. Sora put an arm around him and hugged him a bit, doing his best to comfort him. They all knew it wasn't his fault, but that still didn't change what happened.

* * *

"_Here's to us! May all our shows be as successful as this one was!" Riku cheered as the circies celebrated behind the big top. There had been no doubts that tonight was their best show in years._

"_Shh! You'll jinx us!" Demyx said quickly, jumping onto his back and covering his mouth with his hands, "We must now wash away the jinx with a celebration!"_

"_We've got more people showing up to them, and a bunch of them just come for the booze," Luxord pointed out, "Maybe we should just have it on the train with those we like."_

_Larxene shoved him playfully, "Aw you're just saying that because you're afraid somebody will beat you at those boozing contests you have. C'mon! The more the merrier!" she insisted. They took a vote to see how to have the party; Luxord and Xigbar were for the party just between them, while Axel, Larxene, Riku, Kairi, Demyx and Roxas were for a big one with everyone. With a 6 to 2 vote, the bigger party won and in practically no time they were all enjoying the decision._

_Luxord and Xigbar were playing unique drinking games with some willing and daring members of the crowd. Demyx and Larxene ruled the crate-i-mi-form with their dancing as always, while Kairi mingled with everyone like the social butterfly she was. Marluxia, Lexaeus, and Vexen were absent as usual, celebrating in their own ways on the train. Riku was being hit on by girls from the town as usual, but he found it easier to ignore them by talking with Sora, whom had been to all the shows per his request. And Roxas, naturally, was celebrating with Axel._

_Hours passed by quickly and the crowd had thinned out, leaving only the uber-fans, drunken uber-fans, passed out drunks, and the circies. Axel had a few drinks, but as usual was not even the slightest bit crocked, while Roxas stayed sober. With only a few days left together they'd spent practically all their days and nights together, savoring every moment they had._

"_Okay, so what's that one?" Roxas asked, pointing up at the stars. They'd left the party and were now down the hill, sitting on the ground beside the train._

"_Let's see…That one's Wonderland," Axel told him after a minute of thought._

_Roxas was intrigued by the fact that each star was a different world and how Axel and the circies had visited and could identify many of them, "What's it like?" he asked eagerly._

"_Oh it's insane. The people there are mad and always love our show," he explained, "We're actually bound for there next."_

_Roxas was about to ask him another question but before he could Vexen stepped out of the car a few behind them, "Axel, could you give me a hand for a moment?"_

_Axel clapped his hands and Roxas laughed, "You asked for a hand," he said before getting up to go help him, "I'll be right back, okay Roxy?" he said, bending down to kiss his forehead._

"_Okay," Roxas said with a smile, watching him go. He yawned tiredly and looked up at the stars, 'I'll get to see them too,' he thought, his smile growing as he remembered what Axel told him. The other circies were delighted about the idea as well, and more than happy to welcome him into their family. He couldn't help but be eager about the future that awaited him, waiting a year would be a small price to pay for it._

_He could hear the sounds of the party carrying on at the top of the hill but he was too tired to go back and join in, so he waited for Axel, leaning back against the train and shutting his eyes tiredly. He wasn't sure how much time passed, but he could vaguely hear the sounds of Vexen and Axel doing something that made a lot of noise, arguing with each other in the process. He didn't mind waiting though._

_Over the noise of their arguing and the daze of his tiredness, he didn't notice the approaching figure. He quickly opened his eyes though when someone grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked him away from the train and shoved him over. He could smell the overbearing scent of booze from the drunk that threw himself down on him, knocking the breath out of him with the deadweight. He tried to shove him off but he was too heavy and the drunk easily managed to grab his wrists with one hand, and held them pinned against Roxas' chest while his other grabbed his pocket and tried to pull his pants down. His belt bided him some time and Roxas tried to yell for help but he was having enough trouble catching his breath after it had been knocked out of him. _

"_Get off!!!"_

_Since the party had thinned out, some people heard the shout but of those who heard only Riku, Sora, and Luxord hurried down the hill to help. Just about the time they'd made it halfway down the hill Axel and Vexen came out of the car. They saw Roxas in tears and struggling to no avail against the man above him, who'd ripped his shirt and managed to get the belt undone in the time it took for Roxas to find his voice._

"_Get the fuck off of him!" Axel charged at the drunk and grabbed him by the back of his neck, ripping him away from Roxas and to his feet before slamming him into the side of the train car. He then grabbed his arm and jerked it around behind his back to the point of dislocating his shoulder._

_Riku reached Roxas first and took off his jacket, giving it to him to cover up with. Roxas quickly sat up and backed against Riku for assurance that he was safe, looking to Axel though to make sure his attacker wasn't going to try again. He could see the rage he was in but Riku, Vexen, and Luxord quickly tried to calm him down, "Axel, don't." Vexen said solemnly. Roxas and Sora didn't understand. They didn't want Axel to be mad at him?_

_But Axel wasn't mad; he was furious and didn't heed his friends' advice. Riku let go of Roxas and quickly grabbed Axel under the arms and pulled him off but it was too late, and even though he hadn't done it intentionally the man set on fire where his hands had been. Axel realized what he'd done when the drunk cried in agony and collapsed burning. Riku dropped Axel and stomped the fires out, though he also did this because he was pissed and just wanted to hurt the bastard for what he'd done, and if Axel touched him with the mood he was in he'd just set him on fire again._

_Sora went to Roxas and hugged him, obviously worried sick. Roxas didn't return the hug, he just pulled the jacket tighter around him and looked at the unconscious drunk. Nobody said anything for a moment, trying to digest what just happened. Finally Axel lunged at him again, obviously he was still furious but Luxord and Riku managed to grab and hold him back. He wanted to kill him for what he'd done!_

"_Axel! Stop!" Luxord barked as he tried to hold him still, but it didn't work and Riku finally socked him in the stomach and Axel quickly fell back down, "Listen damn it! I know you want to kill him but you can't!"_

_Axel growled and got up, glaring at Riku with hatred in his eyes, "Bravo! You've stated the obvious again! I'm going to anyway so get out of my way!" Riku didn't move though and Axel's temper only grew, though the new anger was towards Riku, not the drunk._

"_Stop fighting!" Roxas yelled, his voice shaking still and they both stopped but neither looked at him, "Axel he's right… Don't be a murderer," he said quietly._

_Axel didn't move right away but after a moment he backed away from Riku and walked off. They watched him get on the train and nobody said anything for a moment then Luxord looked to Roxas and asked, "Roxas are you okay?" He nodded but knew he wasn't, and he knew neither were the circies. In no time Luxord had sent the partiers home and Vexen gathered the circies back to the train while Riku sent Roxas and Sora home, saying they didnt want to be here for whatever happened next._ "_What's going to happen?" Roxas asked, very worried about the trouble he'd caused them._

_Riku had caught onto that and assured him that none of this was his fault and everything would be fine, "Just go home and get some rest Roxy."_

_Sora was slightly annoyed by his optimism after what had just happened, "How can you say that?"_

"_Because it's the way I am," Riku told him, "Just take Roxy home."_

_Sora was annoyed further when he said that, it was the same attitude he'd had when he told him about his grim past. He wasn't about to let him keep that attitude, especially when he knew what would happen if he did, "I'll send our father over. He'll listen unlike the police," he insisted._

_

* * *

_

"…What did dad say?" Roxas finally asked, remembering Sora had mention he'd called.

Sora sighed and contemplated whether or not to tell him the truth, "…He understands what happened but doubts the police will once the drunk goes to the police." Roxas couldn't believe it. The man was obviously guilty and what Axel did was just to save him, and he hadn't intentionally burned him though he did want to kill him. They'd side with the drunk though because they had more reason to trust someone from their world than the traveling circies.

"He's going to do what he can to quiet the guy before he goes to the police," Sora assured him when he saw the sad look on Roxas' face. He'd caught onto the fact that he and Axel were in a relationship and understood why he'd be worried. Never once had he asked his brother about his doings with the circus and it wasn't that he didn't care, he was just aware that whatever he did with them made him happy and if he was happy he wasn't going to intrude, "Don't worry Roxas. Everything will be fine."

Roxas heard him but had difficulty believing it. He wanted to hear those words from somebody other than his brother and Riku. He wanted Axel, "Sora…I love him." Sora didn't say anything; he just hugged him for a while. He'd presumed as much after seeing the way the two acted. "I love him. I don't want anything to happen to him because of me," Roxas said sadly, hugging his brother for console. He no longer saw the bright future Axel had painted for him, just a bleak void.

* * *

Axel sat there in silence, just glaring across the room at the drunkard whom attacked Roxas. All the other circies were there as well, even Marluxia, Lexaeus, and Vexen. They'd gathered in the common car and Roxas' father had listened to both sides of the story before leaving the room to call home. 

Axel wasn't the only one glaring at him; everyone's gaze was full of hatred, even Xigbar and Luxord whom had sobered up instantly. Nobody blamed Axel for what he'd done; they all knew he couldn't control his fury when it got this bad. The drunk had severe burns on his neck and arm, but saw nothing wrong with what he'd done; in his mind he was the victim now.

"Alright, let's wrap this up," Roxas' father announced as he came back in. It was obvious he too was mad and it shattered through his usually composed and dignified appearance, "As much as I'd love to see you rot behind bars for eternity, that is a very slim possibility with the court system we have here, so how much is it going to cost to quiet this up?" he asked as he turned to the drunk.

"Quiet this up? You expect to just sweep this under the rug and pretend it never happened?!" Axel snapped, glaring over at the ambassador.

"It's all we can do Axel," he answered, understanding his rage but still trying to calm him down.

"He's right Axel," Demyx said from where he was sitting at his feet, "We wouldn't stand a chance against the law."

"The fact of the matter is that we're still 'circus demons' to some people here, even a drunk's word is more appreciated than we are," Larxene added shortly though she obviously disliked the whole situation.

"The fact of the matter is that that bastard almost raped Roxas!" Axel shouted getting to his feet, but rather than try to kill the man he just turned and left the car. For the first time though, Riku did not even consider following to try and calm him down.

* * *

Sora stayed with Roxas for quite some time, doing his best to comfort his brother. They both looked up though when they heard a knocking at the window and saw Axel sitting on the ledge. Roxas quickly got up and hurried over to unlock and open it, and as soon as he did he threw his arms around him, holding on for dear life. Axel held onto him tightly, noticing Sora out of the corner of his eye and nodded with gratitude as he stood up and left them to be alone. 

"Are you okay?" Axel asked, cursing himself for not asking that earlier.

Roxas ignored his question and quickly said, "I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

Axel immediately grabbed his shoulders and pulled him off so he could look him in the face, "Don't apologize, you didn't do anything Roxy and don't you dare think otherwise," he said in a rather forceful tone before pulling him back to his chest, "I shouldn't have left you out there."

Roxas was startled, did Axel blame himself for what happened, "You didn't know it would happened," he assured him, "It wasn't your fault."

"But I could have protected you!" Axel quickly insisted, "I could have kept you safe from that bastard but I didn't! If anything happened to you I'd…I don't know what I'd do!" There was a brief silence and Roxas just wanted him to stay there with him, just like this he felt safe and he'd be content to stay like this. "Roxas I don't want anyone to hurt you," Axel said, calming down a little and resting his head against Roxas'.

Roxas smiled and held him tighter, awed by the words and said, "You don't have to worry about that. Nothing can hurt me as long as I have you." And like that his future was bright again, Axel was his and nothing would ever change that.

Axel stepped inside and Roxas stepped back to let him in, though he did not let go of him. He was alarmed though when Axel turned and pressed him back against the wall, looking him dead in the face, "I'll always be there for you," he said, still sounding serious though edged with unmatched softness before he pressed his lips to Roxas'.

Roxas returned the kiss, his alarm fading instantly as he pressed deeper into the kiss, his hands holding Axel's shoulders for support. He made no protest when he felt Axel's hands slide down to his backside and pull him closer, though he couldn't contain a surprised gasp. Axel drew back from the kiss a little and Roxas looked up to him, eyes half closed when he heard him say, "He may have been the first to try Roxy, but I'll be the first to have you," Roxas knew what he meant and wasn't sure what to say, so instead he just kissed him again.

Taking that as compliance, Axel slipped his tongue between Roxas' lips, grazing over his teeth to ask for entry. Roxas let him in but couldn't help but giggle a little when the soft muscle tickled the top of his mouth. Axel drew back a little and grinned, "You're ticklish there too?"

Roxas smiled sheepishly, hoping he hadn't killed the moment with his ticklish nerves. Axel thought it was adorable though and easily held him still against the wall with one arm still around his waist while the other skimmed up under the base of Roxas' shirt and over his ribs. He laughed and tried to wriggle away, even though he enjoyed the attention, and Axel held him still despite the squirming and pleas of mercy. Not even a minute later Roxas' knees gave and he started to slide down the wall, however Axel followed him down with a sinister grin as he continued to tickle the struggling boy. Finally he stopped and allowed Roxas to catch his breath, "So cute," he teased with a grin, obviously he'd enjoyed making him laugh.

"That was mean," Roxas said, smiling none the less though as he began to catch his breath. As the nerves in his side began to calm his senses elsewhere became more attentive. A blush spread across his face when he realized that Axel was on his knees, holding him in his lap with one of his legs on either side of him. It was a new and exciting sensation but he was slightly embarrassed by it.

However when Axel's arms wrapped tighter around his waist it was more than obvious that he didn't mind, and still held true to what he'd said earlier. Smirking in an almost evil manner, Axel leaned Roxas back against the wall and leaned in, planting a kiss at the base of his neck. Even though it was a small action, Roxas couldn't contain a distorted mumble of his name and he flattened himself against the wall, tilting his chin up to allow easier access to the exposed flesh. The daunting events that had occurred hours earlier were the last thing on his mind; all he wanted and could think about now was Axel.

Axel knew he wanted this and was burning deeply to make the boy his, but he had one thing he needed to be sure of, "Roxy," he said, drawing his mouth back and looking down at him. Roxas looked up with curious yet dazed eyes, wondering why Axel had stopped. "Are you sure you want this?" Roxas was actually surprised by his question, but smiled; Axel would do anything for him, even back off now if he didn't want to continue. He leaned up and kissed his lips briefly, "I love you Axel…yes I'm sure," he said, putting a hand on his cheek and smiling still.

Axel returned the smile and took the hand on his cheek, kissing the top of it before Roxas leaned back against the wall and he followed, leaving small kisses on his neck. His heart fluttered as one of Axel's hands moved around to his front and grazed across his stomach, taking hold of the jacket he was wearing and undoing the buttons without even realizing it was Riku's. He slid it off of him and saw the ripped shirt, frowning when he remembered what had happened. As if to tell him not to think about it, Roxas sat up and pulled the shirt over his head, dropping it to the side with the jacket and smiling at him.

Absorbed in the sight, Axel stared at his naked chest for a few moments before seeing the embarrassed flush on Roxas' face and kissing his cheek, "You're beautiful." Roxas smiled and allowed his kisses to travel from his cheek to his jaw then down his neck. He couldn't withhold a shiver when he felt his lips on his shoulder, sighing a bit shakily as his mouth continued down his body.

For some reason, and for the very first time, Axel wanted to take this slowly despite his passion and desire. Roxas was still a good amount of years younger than him and this was an entirely new experience for him, it would be a crime to attack the boy's body with the vigor inside of him. His lips traveled down his chest before closing over the nipple and suckling on it. Roxas let out a distorted cry of pleasure and he instantly brought a hand up to the back of Axel's head to encourage the new and overwhelming sensation. Axel grinned a little, feeding off the small noises of pleasure and excitement escaping Roxas' lips, and he continued his sucking until he felt it harden and then he drew back and kissed over his heart once before bringing his mouth back to Roxas' and delving into a passionate kiss.

Roxas whimpered and tried to pull Axel closer to him, a fire lit inside him and he needed the burning desire to be fed. Axel laughed a bit at his impatience and he brought a hand down over Roxas' stomach, grazing over the belt and to his thigh, sliding back up between his legs and shocking Roxas with a wave of pleasure and he couldn't help but whine which then turned into a slight pant. It was all so overwhelming and he couldn't believe what Axel was able to do to his body.

He brushed his nose against Roxas' reassuringly, kissing the tip before closing his hands around the belt holding his pants up. Roxas held his breath for a moment until he heard the light clink of metal, followed by the unfastening of his pants. Axel pulled his pants down a bit, but stopped when he hooked a finger under the elastic of the boxers and looked at Roxas who had gone rather stiff and looked uneasy.

"Roxy?" Axel questioned, looking down at the flushed face, mouth slightly agape and eyes shut. Roxas opened his eyes and looked at his concerned gaze before smiling a little. Axel had to remind himself Roxas was new to this sort of experience, whether if it was with a man or a woman. He kissed his forehead to calm him before assuring him, "I'll be gentle." Roxas nodded but still shivered when Axel pulled his boxers down. His coos and caresses had obviously been affecting him, as shown by his arousal, and Axel smiled a bit before kissing him once more and lowering himself until his mouth reached between his thighs.

Roxas cried and squirmed a little when he felt Axel's mouth take in his length, arching his back and one hand grabbed the pile of his clothes while the other wound itself in Axel's hair. He couldn't believe what was happening, but it felt so right he knew it couldn't be wrong. Axel was glad he obviously enjoyed the attack on his body and he himself was aroused when he touched him and pried noises of pleasure from his lips. He could feel him tensing up and his breath quickening, warning him of what was coming and he put his hands on Roxas' waist, holding him still to let him know it was okay.

Roxas was painfully aroused and squirmed as Axel's mouth continued to pamper his cock, trying to push himself deeper but Axel's hands kept his hips still and that sense of dominance it created was all he needed and his breath hitched as he tried to thrust himself into Axel. His toes clenched and he felt his entire body shake, draining his energy with the orgasm and he yelled Axel's name as he threw his head back. His body was numbed with pleasure for a moment and he looked down at Axel, out of breath but excited when he saw him swallow his cum and the lick his arousal clean of the salty substance. Axel grinned up at him and licked his lips before leaning back up and kissing him.

The taste of his own cum lingering in Axel's mouth made Roxas only more excited and he realized his fire was far from doused, "Axel, more," he mumbled against his lips, barely able to piece together the sentence. That was just what Axel wanted to hear and he was more than willing to comply, his own arousal burning painfully. He pulled Roxas' pants the rest of the way down before picking up the naked body and carrying him over to the bed.

Roxas seemed disappointed when he put him down, and he sat up a little, supporting himself with his elbows. He saw Axel pull off his shirt and found himself staring at him, transfixed by the body before him. Axel wasted no time as he undid his belt and let down his pants, followed shortly after by the boxers Roxas had seen him in that morning. Roxas tried not to stare but it's difficult when the one you love is naked before your eyes.

Axel came over to him and while Roxas was still dazed he took him by the shoulders and pushed him back down flat on his back before rolling him over. Roxas was practically a rag doll at the moment and moved as he was guided, lying flat on his stomach before looking back over his shoulder at Axel. Keeping his hands on Roxas' shoulders he climbed on the bed and sat on the small of his back, leaning down and kissing the back of his neck softly.

Roxas whined as his body shivered at the feel of Axel on top of him, nothing, not even clothing, between them but his whine was quieted when Axel's hand came to his mouth and he slid two fingers between Roxas' lips, "Suck," Roxas heard him say shortly. Axel sighed with pleasure as Roxas' mouth sucked on and moistened the sensitive nerves in his fingers and to encourage him he kissed down his back while his other hand rubbed his shoulder tightly.

The noises of pleasure from Axel delighted Roxas, and he welcomed the third finger as it slipped in. He was glad he could bring him the same invigorating sensations he was receiving. He was disappointed when he pulled his fingers away after a few moments, saliva clinging to his digits as Axel slid down Roxas' back and between his legs, pausing a moment and resting his other hand on Roxas' leg. Roxas knew what he meant and held his breath in anticipation, shutting his eyes and waiting. He felt one of Axel's fingers press against him and found the gentle pressure nice but when it slowly pressed in he gasped sharply and his hands clenched the sheets underneath him tightly.

"A-Axel…" he barely managed to say. He knew it was coming but didn't expect the pain that came with penetration. Axel shushed him, "It's okay Roxy," he cooed as he leaned down and kissed the small of his back, making Roxas' body shiver. He swirled his finger about slowly, he'd told him he'd be gentle but he couldn't be any more so than he was. Roxas heard him but it took quite some time for him to adjust to the feeling and he hid his face in the pillow in hopes of hiding his already obvious feelings. Slowly though he came to feel the pleasure outweighing the pain and his muscles began to relax and accept what was happening.

It didn't last long though as a second finger delved in with the other, prying a pained cry from his lips as he tried to jerk his body away. Axel put a hand on his back though and kept him still as he pushed the two fingers in as far as he could, "It's alright Roxy," he said, managing to make him stop struggling by slipping the hand on his back around underneath him and grabbing his cock. Roxas calmed with the strokes and quickly indulged in the pleasures to the point of even trying to build more friction with the fingers inside of him.

His eagerness thrilled Axel, whom was having great difficulty holding himself back. The boy's reactions alone were enough to drive him mad and he quickly forced his third finger in and caused Roxas to cry loudly and bury his face back into the pillow, biting the fabric as tears seeped through his eyes. Before he could even take pleasure in the feeling Axel pulled his fingers back and made him sob into the pillow.

Unlike before, this time when Axel tried to move him his body was stiff but still submissive. He rolled him over onto his back and got back on his knees between Roxas' legs, and Roxas was both alarmed and aroused by the look of hunger in his eyes. Axel however saw the tears on his cheeks and leaned up to kiss them away, silently apologizing for the pain he'd caused him and Roxas instantly forgave him.

Keeping his mouth on Roxas', Axel's hands traveled down under the back of Roxas' legs and pulled him up off the bed a little. Roxas realized what came next but he wasn't nervous and it showed; he loved Axel, he wanted to be his and he bent his knees to let him know he was sure. Axel smiled against his lips and drew back to look at him for a moment as his left hand intertwined with Roxas' right. Roxas returned the smile and put his other hand on Axel's cheek, bringing his face back down into the kiss.

Roxas wasn't sure how much time passed after that. Everything was a pleasured blur, crying at the building ecstasy, small coos of kindness from Axel whispered in his ear followed by his growls and grunts, the feeling of Axel thrusting deep within him where his fingers had once breeched, and his heartbeat so rapid he feared that at any moment it would shatter through his chest. However long it had been he didn't care. Axel's hand gripped tighter onto his and with one final hard thrust he released his built up passion deep within Roxas and panted out his name as he did. The orgasm exploding inside him shot fire through Roxas' entire body, warming him incredibly and he arched his back with a short distorted cry as it triggered his own which came against Axel's stomach and ran back down on himself.

For a moment neither one of them moved, both thoroughly worn out but so consumed in their pleasure they were reluctant to stop. Finally Axel pulled out of Roxas and lied down beside him, his hot breath chilling against the sweat on Roxas' body. Roxas didn't move; afraid that if he did all he was feeling would shatter. Axel sat up for a minute to pull the sheet up over them before lying back down next to him and pulling Roxas close to his chest. He curled up comfortably against Axel, a smile spreading across his face as he did so, "Axel…" he mumbled against his chest but couldn't finish.

Axel heard him and kissed the top of his head, smiling a little as he said, "I love you too Roxy." Roxas was glad Axel knew what he was trying to say and was just far too exhausted to put a sentence together. Sighing deeply he snuggled closer to him before drifting off into the best sleep he'd ever gotten.

* * *

In what felt like no time, though actually several hours later, Roxas tiredly protested as he felt Axel abruptly let go of him and get out of bed, "Axel? What's…" but Roxas couldn't finish his question as he quickly shushed him and grabbed his clothes before hiding in the closet. 

He was very confused but understood when he heard a knock at the door, "Roxas, are you awake?" He instantly woke up when he heard his brother's voice and got out of bed, "Just a second!" he said, grabbing pulling on his boxers and a shirt that wasn't torn before diving back into bed. His timing couldn't have been better, the door opened just as he pulled the sheet up over him and he saw his brother and Riku in the doorway. He noticed Riku slip his lighter back into his pocket and Roxas realized he'd been the one to warn Axel of their coming.

"It's early, what do you want?" Roxas whined, sitting up tiredly.

"Early? It's 11:30 Roxas," Sora said, glancing at his watch in confusion.

"Hey, being a circie takes a lot of energy you know, can't blame him for wanting to sleep in after putting on a show," Riku said and Roxas was grateful for the cover-up though embarrassed that he knew Axel was there. Riku smiled though and came over and sat on the foot of the bed, "Good news Roxy, we got the bastard deported from this world."

"Dad was really pissed and got tired of him quickly. He's sending him away right now," Sora explained the rest and was obviously glad about the news. He heard the phone ring before Roxas could say anything and headed out of the room to go answer it.

When sure he was gone Riku stood up and took the cell phone out of his pocket, dropping it on the bed and Roxas noticed his home phone number on the screen, "That should bide us some time. Let's go Axel."

"Larxene was right, you do ruin the morning," Axel said from his closet lair followed by noises of struggle as he tried to get dressed. Riku shook his head and noticed his jacket lying by the window and went over to retrieve it. When Roxas saw him pick it up he remembered it was his and was horribly embarrassed by what he must be thinking. Sora answered the phone downstairs with a hello and Axel climbed out of the closet and came over to the bed to shut the cell.

"So where's the bastard getting sent?" Axel asked nonchalantly as he sat down by Roxas on the bed and tossed Riku his phone.

"To Monstro," Riku answered shortly, catching it with one hand and putting it back in his pocket.

Axel merely nodded, "Perfect for a parasite."

Roxas was very uneasy with the silence and looked from one circie to the other, remembering the fight they'd gotten into last night and hoped that they'd make up quickly. "Alright, get going," Riku finally said as he pushed the window open for him to make an escape without making Sora suspicious of what happened last night.

Axel nodded and turned to Roxas and kissed his lips, "Come by later okay?" Roxas nodded and smiled a little, hugging him before he got up to leave. On his way out he turned to Riku and said something Roxas couldn't hear before climbing out the window and making his way down the tree. Riku shut the window behind him and pulled his jacket on before heading back for the door, "Later Roxy."

Roxas called after and stopped him though, "Riku wait." He was worried about something and had to set things straight, "You and Axel…" he didn't really need to finish the question because Riku smiled and shook his head, "Nothing happened Roxy, we're just good friends," though good was obviously an understatement. Roxas smiled a little and nodded, glad to hear that before he left.

* * *

Riku barely made it two steps out the front gates before someone grabbed him, keeping him restrained with one arm and covering his mouth with the other. He bit the hand over his mouth and it instantly let got and he pulled away, looking back at Axel. "Thought you'd have grown out of biting by now," Axel said as he shook his sore fingers. 

"Guess you were wrong," Riku was obviously referring to more than one situation.

Axel knew he had that coming and sighed, "I'm not sorry if that's what you're suggesting." Riku turned and started to walk off and Axel followed after him, "I couldn't help myself! I love him damn it!"

Riku stopped and turned back to him, a look of amusement on his face, "You think I care about what you two did?" Axel stopped and said nothing and Riku laughed, "I was talking about what happened before you ran off last night. We all care about him you know; of course we were going to deal some kind of damage to that drunk." Axel understood now and Riku laughed a bit more and shook his head before addressing Axel's prior thoughts, "I thought we settled that a long time ago, I'm still straight."

Axel grinned a little and taunted him, "I don't know, with that hair—" but he trailed off into a stream of 'ow's as Riku grabbed a fistful of his hair and walked by and dragged him along, "I take it back!" he said quickly and Riku let go. While Axel may joke about it, he was anything but interested in his sexuality; Riku was too good of a friend to take that route with.

"Let's try again: why am I mad?" Riku asked. It probably wasn't the best question because it made it a game which continued the entire way back to the circus until neither one of them cared about what happened last night.

* * *

Well? Okay like I said, this is the chapter that made this story an M and…I'm not sure what to say now! I warned you that lemons are not my writing field but I just felt like this was the opportune time for one. 

I should probably give you guys a heads up that there probably won't be an update within the next week. As I mentioned before I'm doing two shows (with homicidal directors) and have a full course load so my free time is going to be nil for a while but I'll try to get as much done as I can this weekend. In the mean time I would be so grateful if you guys would review and let me know what you thought, reading what you have to say after a die hard day would really be helpful and I promise to reply to all reviews just as quickly as I can.

Yesh, it's late and I've got to be up in three hours so I must wrap this up. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will forgive me for however much extra time it takes to get a new chapter done. Again, thank you guys for 100 reviews! You're all wonderful and I love you! Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	13. It's Not Goodbye

I LIVE!!!! Somewhat! Haha, I've been working on this monster for almost 2 weeks now and couldn't figure out how to do it! Okay so there were so many different variations of this chapter it's not even funny, and I have had little to no time to sit down and type so everything just accumulated and went KABOOM into this XD That probably didn't make much sense, but that's life! I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter (even though this one drained me far more than that one) and I'm sorry I haven't replied to reviews in quite some time but my main project every time I got near a computer was writing this. However, I'm going to get started on replying as soon as I get this posted! Promise!

Okay, enough of that! Again mentioning the** CONTEST! **I really haven't made a specific costume for little Roxy! Thus I am leaving this open for your imaginations! Feel free to draw circie-Roxy however you imagine him and then send me the link through a pm, email, or just an irrelevant review if you'd like. I'll close this contest at the end of this month (January) so you have plenty of time, and the person who best depicts circie-Roxy will not only receive a lifetime supply or hugs, but their circie-Roxy's outfit will be the official one used for any performance he does! I've recieved some lovely entries thus far and am very eager to see what others have in mind! Good luck and love to all of you!

And (since she neglected to tell me early enough for me to get her a b-day present) this chapter is a belated 'happy birthday!!!' to kairiyumi, and a present for all of you to enjoy! Without further ado, chapter 12!

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* * *

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**Chapter 12**

**It's Not Goodbye**

This was it. The room was silent as all the circies sat in the backroom listening to the muffled noises of the audience and act going on out on the main floor. As soon as Luxord finished his act the only thing left would be the finale and then their final show was over. All the circies had gathered on the couches, comfortably lounged about and atop each other. It had been like this the entire show, something weighing heavily on their minds and Demyx was the first to voice it, "This stinks!"

"Demyx—" Xigbar tried to shush him but he shook his head and refused to be silenced, "Seriously! It feels like we just got here!" Demyx whined, looking to the others for some sort of reasoning or condolence.

"That's because we've only done 4 shows instead of 12," Axel reasoned, letting Demyx know he wasn't the only one who felt their stay was too short.

"It'll be different next time," Riku assured him, "The people won't be buying the church's lies anymore. So we'll be booked solid for all shows." Now having to jump worlds every month didn't allow a lot of things, religion being one of them since each world had a different one, so they never could figure out why the church had even started to spread those horrible stories about them.

"But next time is too far away," Demyx whined as he leaned against Riku and took his top hat and put it on his own head, "A year! 365 days…There are 365 days here right?"

"Demyx, hush," Riku told him and he glanced over to Roxas, snug in Axel's arms, before looking back to him. Demyx understood and sighed, hoping he hadn't hurt Roxas by bringing up the time.

Apparently Roxas wasn't bothered in the least, "It's okay, a year will go by before you know it," he said with a bright smile. The circies were somewhat surprised by his optimism, but were glad to know he wasn't getting dragged down by waiting a year.

"You going to be okay Roxy?" Larxene asked him as she leaned over Kairi to pinch his cheek.

"Ofcourse!" he exclaimed, batting her hand away before kidding, "In fact I may even get back onto a normal sleep cycle." They all laughed and he was glad that the silence in the room was over. He was going to be fine and that was the truth. Sure he'd miss them, all of them, but they'd be back and then…

"Yeah, just wait until you come with us next time Roxy, the time changes will kill you," Kairi laughed and he was happier with that thought.

"Hey, a lot of things are going to be different this time next year," Xigbar said and everyone gave him a questioning look, "Think about it. We're going to have a little circie running around and keeping us up, this world's going to accept us, and Demyx will be of legal drinking age."

"And you'll be old enough to retire," Demyx replied, fighting mockery with mockery.

"We should make resolutions," Larxene suggested, "That way we'll all have something to nag each other about until we get back here. My resolution is to learn how to fold laundry."

Riku shook his head and said, "That's not a very good resolution."

"Oh? Well then smarty, what's your resolution?" she said, seeing nothing wrong with hers.

He thought about it for a few moments before saying, "Be nicer in the mornings."

Everyone laughed and agreed that this was an important one, and that then triggered all sorts of resolutions from them all, "I'm going to cut back on my drinking," Xigbar declared though nobody believed him for a second.

"I want to get over my fear of cats," Demyx announced. Roxas didn't know this, but Demyx was horribly afraid of cats, especially the lions and tigers Kairi played with.

"I'm going to bring a healthy baby circie into whatever world we're in," Kairi's was the only one that was actually quite a heavy matter but it was accepted as her resolution.

Axel thought about his for a while, listening to others before deciding, "I'm going to control my temper."

"It's not your temper we worry about, it's how you act the rest of the time," Xigbar said but Axel quickly kicked him in the side. "What about you Roxy?" he asked, putting his chin on his head and hugging him back to his chest.

Roxas didn't need to think twice and he boldly said, "I'm going to show off what I've learned from you guys."

They were glad to hear it but Riku was curious as to just how much they'd changed him, "What have we taught you Roxy?" he asked.

"To not be afraid to show who I am, no matter what people think," Roxas said with a smile. Before the circies could say anything they heard the music outside slow and knew that was their cue.

"Well, let's give them a finale they won't forget," Riku said as he got up first, taking his hat back from Demyx.

* * *

"Axel?" There was no reply and after a few moments Roxas was sure his lover was asleep. He sighed and sat up to see the time displayed on the clock on the wall, 2:43 A.M. He'd decided to spend the last night with Axel on the train after losing track of time during the after party. It was a small celebration between the circies only, just so they could reminisce on all that had happened during their time here and enjoy their last night, though Kairi left early so she could go see her friends one last time. They'd all gone to bed not too long ago and were sleeping soundly, but Roxas couldn't sleep; he didn't want to. He knew there wasn't much time left with them and the last thing he wanted was to waste that time sleeping. 

"Axel?" he said again but like before it went unheard and he hugged his knees to his chest and stared out the window instead. He couldn't bring himself to wake him up, Axel was exhausted, just like the rest of the circies and it would be selfish. "A year will go by quickly, and you'll come back right?" he asked, even if he knew Axel was asleep, "You guys won't just leave and forget?"

"Roxy, hush," Axel mumbled, reaching up and grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back down next to him. Roxas was shocked to find out he was awake and started to apologize for waking him but a half-asleep Axel covered his mouth with his hand, "You think we're going to forget you?"

Roxas brought his hand up and laced his fingers with Axel's, not saying anything. Axel realized he really did think that and he sat up, "Roxy, we're not going to forget you." Roxas smiled a little, glad to hear that but obviously a little uneasy. Axel chased the unease away though with one word, "Promise." Roxas felt much better and leaned up to kiss Axel, but he was cut short when he heard a loud shatter of glass and after exchanging a look with Axel they both got out of bed and ran off to see what happened.

* * *

Riku was lying on top of the common car after climbing up to the roof from his window. He'd just woken up a while ago and had come out for a cigarette and some fresh air, thinking that might help him get back to sleep. All the lights on the train were out and all the circies in bed, and he was enjoying the quiet; especially since in a few hours they'd have to get to work striking the big top and loading everything into the train. It was a routine they'd all grown familiar with and even if it was heavy work they could practically do it in their sleep. 

Riku brought the cigarette back to his lips and took a drag of the peppermint smoke, exhaling it up at the sky absentmindedly. His daydreaming was interrupted when he noticed the light come on in the car below him. He assumed it was just Xigbar up for another drink, Larxene passing through to make a cure for a hangover, or Kairi coming home after going out to pay a last visit with her friends here. Whoever it was, Riku decided to have some fun before going back to bed.

He went over to the side of the car as the kitchen light came on and leaned over the side, hanging onto a notch in the roof with his feet and lowering himself down to the window to scare whoever was up. It turned out to be Kairi, fully dressed still and an obvious sign she'd just gotten back. Riku wasn't sure why she was laughing at first but he got his answer when he saw another person enter the kitchen and he scowled as he put the pieces together. He climbed down to the window sill and knocked on the glass, interrupting Kairi's kiss with the unwelcome visitor.

Kairi looked over and saw him and came over to unlock the window, "Riku? What are you doing out there?"

"Who's he Kairi?" he asked shortly without looking at the other.

He made the mistake of answering for Kairi though, "Wakka Tate, Kairi and I were friends back in high school," explained the man as he held out his hand to shake Riku's. Riku didn't say anything and after a moment or two Wakka took his hand back and instead said, "Your show tonight was incredible." There was another lengthy silence and Wakka cleared his throat before saying, "I just ran into Kairi on the train and invited her out for a few drinks for old time's sake."

"You went drinking?" Riku finally said, looking back to Kairi quickly.

She didn't answer but sighed and walked off, not aware that her unsteady movement was an answer to his question and he came through the window and over the countertop to the floor. "I know she's underage, but she said that didn't matter so I assumed—" Wakka started to say but Riku finally addressed him, "So you assumed it would be okay to take a pregnant minor out for drinks?"

He seemed genuinely shocked to hear that and they both turned on Kairi, "You're pregnant?" Wakka asked.

"You didn't tell him?" Riku asked abruptly, realizing Kairi's old acquaintance was not the one at fault anymore

Kairi huffed and crossed her arms, not saying anything and Wakka was obviously discomforted by the situation, shuffling his feet before saying, "Um…I should go."

"That's a good idea," Riku said with an artificial smile, which only made Wakka want to leave quicker. As soon as he left Kairi sighed and turned on Riku, "Why did you do that?"

Riku was even more peeved that she had the nerve to say that, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? You're pregnant and incase you've forgotten that means no drinking."

Kairi glared before pushing past him to get back into the kitchen, "Why should you care, we both know it's not your kid," it was very obvious she was more intoxicated than he thought.

"Because we're supposed to be friends, remember? And regardless of who's it is we all care about you both," Riku said, finishing his cigarette and flicking it out the window before following after her. Kairi opened the fridge and reached for one of the bottles of vodka on the lower shelves and uncapped it, "Put that back right now!" he snapped, reaching over and snatching the bottle out of her hands.

"Give that back!" she demanded, trying to take it from him but he kept it out of her reach and out of frustration she hit him but it did little good and instead she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a kiss. In that brief moment of extreme shock, she managed to take it back from him and get away. He grabbed her though and pulled her back, easily taking the bottle back and holding it behind his back. Kairi struggled to get free but he was still able to keep her from getting away with one arm.

"What's gotten into you?!" The answer was a large amount of alcohol and the hormones that come with pregnancy, both of those teaming up to make her into this mess. "Calm down Kairi," but she wouldn't listen and swung one of her legs back, wrapping it around his and causing him to lose his footing and they both fell back to the ground. It was when she heard the loud shatter of glass she realized what she'd done and quickly got off of Riku, "Oh my god, are you alright?"

He sat up, cringing as he did so from the shattered vodka bottle shards that had pierced him in the lower back and left hand; the alcohol seeping into to cuts through his shirt wasn't making him feel any better. Kairi quickly took his hand and started pulling the glass out, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she apologized, seeming like a completely different person now.

Only a moment later Roxas and Axel came running into the common car, looking for the source of the noise and when they saw them on the kitchen floor with a mess of alcohol and blood on the floor Axel quickly demanded, "What the hell happened? Roxas, go get the first aid kit from Vexen, quick." Roxas nodded, looking worriedly over at Kairi and Riku before hurrying back down the hall.

"Calm down Axel," Riku said, sounding very composed still though obviously in pain and he couldn't help an occasional wince when Kairi pulled a shard out of his hand. Axel saw more glass on the floor behind him and carefully stepped over it only to see there was more in his back, "Don't tell me to calm down, what happened here?" he asked again, looking from him to Kairi before starting to pull the glass out of his back.

"I fell," he said shortly, growling a bit and glaring back at him when he pulled out a larger shard, "Easy! ...Like I said, I fell. Just got up for a drink but Kairi caught me and I tried to hide it so she wouldn't feel bad about not being able to drink, but when I backed up I tripped." Kairi glanced up at him, realizing he'd lied and she stopped tending to his hand for a moment.

"Klutz," Axel scolded, obviously buying the lie as he continued to tend to his back. Roxas came back with the first aid kit, and the ever nosy Vexen had to come as well just to see what he needed it for. He cleaned and treated the wounds once the glass was out, bandaging his hand and torso while Kairi cleaned the glass, blood, and vodka off of the floor.

"You didn't do this on purpose to get out of striking tomorrow did you?" Vexen asked while finishing off the bandaging around his midriff, "If so, it didn't work."

"Your concern is flattering," Riku sighed, waiting impatiently for him to finish. He really just wanted to go to bed now, this being the worst cigarette break he'd ever had.

Axel came back into the common car with a bottle of pills and handed it to him, "Here."

"If I knew it wouldn't hurt, I'd hug you but since that's not the case you'll have to settle for a 'thank you for the drugs,'" Riku said, taking them and swallowing two of the pain killers.

Axel laughed and patted him on the head, "If that's all, I'm taking Roxy and going back to bed," he said before turning to Roxas and picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Roxas squealed a little in shock but laughed as he hung over his shoulder, waving bye to Riku and Vexen as they disappeared down the hall.

Riku chucked a bit, though it didn't last long since it was rather painful and the medication hadn't kicked in yet. Vexen finished as Kairi was coming in with a clean shirt for him to put on, "There, it'll take a while for those cuts to seal up and it'll hurt like hell, so don't do anything stupid to make it worse," Vexen said, standing back up and leaving without so much as a 'goodnight' or a 'feel better soon' though that wasn't very surprising for him.

Kairi handed Riku the clean shirt but didn't say anything until Vexen was gone, "Why did you lie?"

"What? Did you want the others to know you'd gotten smashed?" he took the shirt and pulled it on but Kairi started buttoning it before he could.

"You should have," she mumbled, focusing on the buttons and not him, "I was stupid and because of me you're hurt."

"True, but we've gotten over that once before," Riku said and she laughed a little as she finished buttoning up the shirt.

"I'm not going to wait three years to say 'I'm sorry' though this time," she said, smiling and looking up finally.

He laughed a bit and patted her on the head before saying, "And I'm not going to wait three years to forgive you." After a brief silence she hugged him carefully and smiled, "Thanks Riku…" she said before leaning up and kissing him. He broke it short though and gave her a look that said it all. She understood and nodded before letting go of him, smiling a little and heading off to the girls car. Riku watched her leave and when the door closed behind her he sighed then turned and left for his own room and a much needed rest.

* * *

"TIMBER!!!" Roxas woke abruptly when he heard Demyx's loud shout, followed shortly after by an earthshaking crash. He sat up and looked around franticly for the source but found none, though he did realize that Axel was no longer in bed by him. Instead there was a note on the pillow, scribbled in his messy handwriting and little sketch of them chibified at the top. 

_Roxy! If you're reading this now then that probably means you just heard Demyx's traditional shout of 'TIMBER' as the first support beam comes down. Sorry about that, feel free to kick him later. Anyways, we've been striking since 6 this morning and thought we'd let you sleep in since it's not a fun task, but feel free to come help or lie in bed and pretend to be asleep until the work it over._

_XoOXxOX Axel._

Roxas smiled and sat up to get dressed but cringed from the soreness in his body before noticing the closing line at the bottom of the paper: _Sorry!_ He laughed a bit and shook his head, slightly embarrassed but happy. He quickly got dressed in a clean pair of Axel's clothes, rolling up the pants legs several times so they didn't drag the ground and hurrying off the train.

When he saw where the big top once stood he was speechless; unable to recognize the place anymore. All the support wires that had once been pounded into the ground were out, and the walls were down as well as one of the support beams, leaving the roof of the tent to hang from only one beam so the other half of the roof dragged the ground, and the bleachers that the audience had been seated in were nowhere to be seen, telling Roxas the circies had already collapsed them and loaded them into one of the storage cars on the train. It was hard to take in, seeing the circus going down, but he took a deep breath before hurrying on to help. If he was going to be a circie, he would have to learn how to do this.

Kairi was nowhere to be seen, understandable though, because Riku insisted she not exert herself while she was pregnant. And speaking of Riku, despite his accident earlier that morning, he was up and helping Demyx detach the bindings that held the support beam to the roof, while Larxene scaled up the other beam to detach it's bindings at the top. Axel, Luxord, and Marluxia were busy rolling up the walls of the big top and Vexen, Lexaeus, and Xigbar were carrying crates of packed items back to the train. Since this was easily one of the hottest days of the year, all the circies were shirtless save for Larxene in a bikini top, and Vexen and Marluxia in t-shirts.

"Hey, there's the little circie-in-training," Xigbar said, spotting him as he was heading for the train, "Ready for your first lesson?" before Roxas could say anything, Xigbar had passed off one of the crates he was carrying to him. Roxas wheezed a bit as he caught the heavy weight, wondering how Xigbar was managing to carry two more with ease.

"Xigbar!" Luxord shouted, running over to relieve Roxas of the crate's weight. He could easily carry it and for the first time ever Roxas took notice of just how strong his former teacher was. Luxord kicked Xigbar in the back, "Bad cow! Get moving Bessy!" he scolded and Xigbar merely mooed and laughed before heading on towards the train.

Luxord shifted the weight of the crate from both arms to one, supporting it on his hip, "Morning Roxy," he said with a grin before patting him on the head and heading off for the train. Roxas watched him go then hurried over to Axel to see if he could help.

"Perfect timing," Axel said when he saw them, "This thing's being a bitch, lend a hand would ya?" Roxas quickly took Luxord's place in rolling up the rest of the wall and watched how Marluxia and Axel tied the supporting wires around so they held the canvas shut. He mimicked their knots carefully, but by the time he'd finished one they'd finished the other 13 around this half of the wall and were up on their feet.

Axel watched Roxas take such care in trying to tie it perfectly, grinning the whole time. While he appreciated it and was glad Roxas was trying, he couldn't help but have a few inappropriate thoughts while watching him on his knees. Roxas finished and stood up, brushing the dirt off his knees before noticing Axel's grin, "What?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing," Axel replied shortly as he followed Marluxia over to the other half of the walls.

Roxas hurried after him, noticing he was still grinning and he asked, "You were thinking bad thoughts weren't you?"

Axel whistled innocently, "Not bad thoughts, just misunderstood." Roxas laughed and pushed him before running ahead to catch up with Marluxia even though Axel easily beat him.

Roxas was amazed, in only 6 short hours they'd finished taking apart everything and loaded it into the first two train cars which were used for storage. However, the 3 hours he'd been there for had thoroughly worn him out and the circies were exhausted too, so when the final piece of flooring got loaded into the car they all fell over onto the ground in practical unison, with Roxas a few seconds ahead.

"Time!" Larxene yelled and they all laughed.

"11:49!" Demyx added and the laughter continued.

When they settled down Luxord sighed, "11 more minutes…what should we do to make our last minutes worthwhile?"

"11 minutes?" Roxas quickly sat up and looked to them for an explanation, hoping it wasn't what he thought.

"We leave at noon, always do," Xigbar explained to him, "Only way to make sure we can get to a new world within a week."

"We can make an exception today though," Axel said, not content with just 11 minutes. Much to his surprise Roxas was the one to counter that, "Nonsense! You guys can't break schedule for me, especially if that means risking you guys get here later that a year because of it."

The circies laughed a bit and Axel rolled over and hugged him, "Don't worry Roxy, you just enjoy life and chill while we're gone and we'll be back right on time!" Axel assured him, nuzzling against the side of his head with a smile.

"Well I bet I know what Axel wants to do for the next 11 minutes," Xigbar teased with a laugh.

Axel cast him a glare but the others laughed and Roxas even poked fun at him, "Please Axel couldn't do that in 11 minutes if he tried," he teased, though laughing along with the others.

"Roxy! That was mean!" Axel scolded as he sat up and Roxas up with him, wearing a catty grin despite the insult. The jokes went on and their laughter lured Kairi outside; smiling, she came over to join them. She sat down by Riku but didn't say anything, merely listened to their conversations for a few minutes before tapping Riku on the shoulder and whispering to him, "Can we talk?" nobody else heard it over their laughter but Riku looked over at her questioningly, wondering what was wrong; but he got up and followed her back to the car.

"So? What's up?" he asked, following her through the common car and back to hers and Larxene's room. But when he saw the suitcase and backpack on her bed he was very confused, at least until she said, "I'm staying here." He didn't say anything and she quickly continued, "It's for the best and I went to see my parents this morning and they said they'd be more than happy to take care of me until you guys come back. I explained everything and they really don't think poorly of us anymore, and they know about the baby and I know what you're thinking but—oh your hand!" Her quick sentences and tone made it very clear she was frantic and when she saw the blood that had seeped through the layers of bandages around his left hand she ran over to the messy desk in the corner. She dug around until she found a roll of bandages and she came back over to him, quickly taking his hand and starting to undo the stained bandages. Riku wasn't sure what to say, was she really being serious? Here they were, less than 10 minutes left in this world, and she springs this on him? "Please say something…" she finally said as she started to redress the cuts.

He thought about it for a moment before saying, "I'm proud of you." She looked up and saw he was smiling, "You're doing the right thing…but the others are going to miss you."

She couldn't help but laugh a bit, waiting a few minutes and tying off the clean bandages before asking out of mild curiosity, "Are you going to miss me?"

Riku took his hand back and stretched his fingers for a few seconds, "Maybe a little," he finally answered before hugging her. She immediately returned the embrace then hid her face in his shoulder. Leaving the circus was the last thing she wanted to do but it was for the best, "…Can I come back next year?" she asked.

It was easy to tell that she was crying and Riku put his hand on the back of her head, "Ofcourse," he didn't hesitate on the answer. Sure they'd had a rocky history but he'd be lying if he said he didn't care about her.

* * *

Kairi wasn't the only one crying though. With 5 minutes left the circies were getting ready to head out. Lexaeus was in the engine car getting the fires stoked and Vexen was working to open them a portal out of this world, while the other circies said their goodbyes before climbing onboard. In those few minutes Roxas got more hugs than he had ever in his life, and Axel remained outside with him as long as he could and refused to let go of him. 

"Darn it…I said I wouldn't cry," Roxas laughed a little as he reached up to wipe away his tears.

Axel helped and kissed his forehead, "Don't cry then." Roxas smiled and laughed a little more, looking up to him and Axel kissed his cheek, "There's the smile. Now hold that until we get back."

"I'll be waiting…and smiling. Promise," Axel smiled when he heard those words but his happiness was broken when he heard Lexaeus shout from the engine car, "Axel! Come on, we're pulling out!" Axel heard him and sighed, kissing Roxas again and very unwilling to let go, "I love you Roxy, don't ever forget that."

"I won't," Roxas assured him, smiling and saying, "Now go on, the faster you leave, the faster you come back."

Axel laughed at his theology and nodded then noticed Kairi come off the train, "And where are you going?" he asked when he saw her carrying a backpack and a suitcase.

Kairi smiled though and replied, "Nowhere. I'm staying here." Axel smiled when he realized what she was doing and nodded, but he turned his attention back to Roxas when he heard the train whistle to alert them that it was leaving. "I love you Axel, hurry back," Roxas quickly said, knowing he had to leave.

"I love you too Roxas," he said, kissing him once more on the lips before the train started to move away and he let go, "Don't forget what we taught you!" he called back as he ran after the train. Roxas smiled and watched him catch up and jump onto the back of the train before turning back and waving. Roxas laughed and waved back, wiping away a stray tear with his other hand as the train disappeared right before his eyes. He'd be fine. It would be a year but he would be fine.

Whatever the rest of the year held for him he couldn't be sure, but he knew one thing: his life had been changed forever when the circus came to town.

* * *

Tadah! Okay let me start by saying this is **NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!!! **There will be more, and what do they hold? Only I know! Muwahaha! Thank you guys for reading and I would love you even more if you review! Seriously you have no idea how annoying this chapter became for me. I actually wrote their finale out but we lost power during a storm and everything went bye-bye T.T and the document recovery didn't recognize the file so it was a night of rage for me. I tried to write a new one but it was rather flat and I thought you guys would enjoy imagining your own rather than read a dull one. I finished this at 3:49 this morning, and hope you enjoy it because when I read over it a second time I did (Hope I caught and fixed all my half-asleep typos! Sorry if I missed some!) Now the question is: when will the next chapter be done? Well the rest of today I'll be working on replying to reviews from chapters ago and getting over a horrible cold that attacked me this morning, but I'll do as much as I can as fast as I can and hopefully have one up by this time next week. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go get tea and cold medicine, but until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!!! 

_Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter_


	14. A New Me

Woo! Yay for me! Okay this chapter got done fast huh? Yeah I'm hyper tonight too! Woo! Hehe, incase you can't tell I'm feeling MUCH better. Rehersal was cancled on Friday because our director was very ill, so I got to come home right after school for the first time since...ever XD Slept 18 hours and felt great! Guess all the stress and work killed my immune system, grr, so that means the same thing will happen next week since finals start Tuesday. Ah well, enough about me, let me thank you all! So many lovely reviews and they made me feel so much better! I've replied to all of them except for the last two which I'm working on now! Haha, okay so here it goes! Hope you all like it because it's one of the longest I've written (It was much longer but I cut out part at the end to keep this chapter from droning on. It'll be in the next chapter though. Yes that means I've already started it XD )

**SIDENOTE!!! **The song Roxas sings is called "Right Where You Want Me" by Jesse McCartney XD yeah, the same guy that does the voice of the American Roxas. I heard this song last week and got addicted to it, but by no means do I own it (though I did buy it off iTunes for 99 cents...that doesn't count though) Also there is mention of religion in this chapter, and I hope none of you are offended by it, if so I apologize now.

**CONTEST...STILL!!! **I really haven't made a specific costume for little Roxy! Thus I am leaving this open for your imaginations! Feel free to draw circie-Roxy however you imagine him and then send me the link through a pm, email, or just an irrelevant review if you'd like. I'll close this contest at the end of this month (January) so you still have time to draw one, and the person who best depicts circie-Roxy will not only receive a lifetime supply or hugs, but their circie-Roxy's outfit will be the official one used for any performance he does! I've recieved some lovely entries thus far and am very eager to see what others have in mind! Good luck and love to all of you!

Enough of my ranting! Without further ado: Chapter 13, A New Me

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**A New Me**

It never ceased to amaze Roxas how teachers could rant on and on, and not bore themselves. There was only one week of school left and every teacher in the school was doing their best to make sure nobody enjoyed their summer a second before the final bell. Exams, senior projects, crappy cafeteria food, and 3 hours of sleep; it was all standard for this week. Despite it all though, Roxas was anything but hindered; in fact, he was in the best mood he'd been in for almost a year.

He looked away from his AP Biology teacher and to the clock on the wall. _3:30. Just 15 more minutes…_ He thought, absent-mindedly tapping his foot in time with the moving second hand then getting an idea and scribbling quickly on the notebook paper, half of which was already covered with notes on the lecture. 137 seconds and taps later, his attention turned to his teacher as he came back to his desk and said, "I do hope you're doing more than being disruptive back here." His name was Cid Highwind and he'd taken over Luxord's classes after he left last year. All-in-all he was a real hard ass and swore twice as much as their old teacher and he always was chewing on the end of a toothpick.

Roxas stopped tapping his foot and grinned, "Ofcourse I am."

Professor Highwind saw something other than the notes of his lecture on the notebook paper and assumed he was writing a note to his friends, "Well, why don't you share your productive notes with the rest of the class since you seem to be doing such good work."

Roxas wasn't bothered by being put on the spot, he knew his teacher was trying to get him to admit he'd been slacking but he wasn't going to falter, "Glad to," he said, still grinning as he stood up and headed to the front of the class, his notebook in hand.

"Roxas," Professor Highwind stopped him, "Fix your uniform."

Roxas sighed and turned to the person he'd stopped beside, "Hold this for me," he said, handing the notebook to Ollete so he could unroll his pants and straighten his tie. He turned back to his teacher, waiting for the 'ok' before taking his notebook back and continuing to the front of the class. He read the first few lines of his notes, written just as they'd been written on the front board and Professor Highwind was satisfied…until halfway through a sentence on the process of mitosis in a cell, Roxas changed gears and started singing the lyrics he'd just written on his paper:

_Baby, take me on a journey. _

_I've been thinkin lately, _

_I could use: _

_A little time alone with you. _

_Crazy, let's do something maybe, _

_Please don't take your time, _

_You've got me right where you want me._

Professor Highwind sighed and shook his head, grinning a little though. The rest of the class was up and wooting with cheers, obviously enjoying his antics. The Roxas they'd known through high school had apparently died over the summer and they loved the new him. Everyone had seen the circus performance and knew he'd been involved with them and that only boosted his popularity. Open minded, cheerful, and very talented. That was the Roxas they knew and loved now. Roxas liked the new him better too, and had dedicated himself to entertaining others; something he'd picked up from the circies and he was glad to sing more, even though it wasn't written on the paper he improved the rest:

_Can't explain it _

_How you swept me off my feet _

_Unexpectedly _

_In slow motion _

_My imagination's runnin tryin to keep my body still _

_Oh, I can hardly stand the thrill_

"If you can't stand it then please get your ass back in your seat," Professor Highwind interrupted with a laugh as he came back up to the front, patting Roxas on the back of the head to get him going back to his desk, "Thank you for briefly disrupting the hell we all know as high school."

"You're welcome," Roxas said, taking a bow before heading back to his desk. It took a while for the class to settle down and get back on track and Roxas went back to writing lyrics in place of notes. Class seemed to pass at a much quicker pace and as soon as he heard the bell he gathered up his things and stuffed them into his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder as he hurried for the door.

"Yo! Roxas wait up!" Hayner called after him.

Roxas called back, "Can't got to be somewhere, call me later!" and before anyone else could stop him he was out the door and heading downstairs. He heard his friends asking what his rush was but he'd explain tomorrow, right now he wasn't going to waste any time. It was incredible really how a year had changed him. The circies had sparked his transformation and after they'd left he carried out the rest. He was still small in stature and he hadn't let his hair grow either, but he'd worked to build up his strength, stamina, and improv skills after realizing how necessary they were for the circies. Now he was more than ready for whatever happened next.

The train couldn't move fast enough and he found himself tapping his foot again and humming a tune for the song he'd written. Vocals were easily his greatest talent and he'd gotten noticeably better, even if he couldn't improv a masterpiece out of thin air like Riku or sing nearly as well. He was eager to show him what he'd written over the year though and he wondered if maybe a few could be used for the shows coming up.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the train stopped at the station just on the other side of Sunset Hill and he was the only one that got off there. It was a rather empty station since the only thing people stopped here for was to either transfer to another train line or watch the sunset. Roxas however headed away from the train tracks and down the hill. At the bottom was where the circies would set up the big top and not too far away, down at the base of another hill, were the train tracks they'd arrive on after enchanting them to jump worlds. Roxas reached the edge of the first hill and wasn't surprised when he didn't see the big top, the circies had only arrived this afternoon after all and he couldn't expect them to be able to set up that quickly; especially if their sleep cycles weren't adjusted to Twilight Town time yet.

He made it across the circie's grounds and to the start of the slope leading down to the train tracks. But something was wrong; the train wasn't there. He was confused but not worried. The circies were always in and out of a world on definite days, and this was the day they'd arrived last year.

Roxas came down to the tracks and looked down both ends, not spotting the train anywhere on the line and he shrugged off his backpack, dropping it on the ground not too far away from the tracks but still out of the way. He sat down and figured he'd just get his work done while he waited, so he unzipped his back and pulled out his government text book.

An hour passed, then three hours, and he began to worry. The sun had long since gone down, leaving the sky dark and dotted with stars. With his homework long since done Roxas lied back and watched the stars and pondering where the circies were; were they on one of the stars? He remembered how Axel had told him each star was a different world and he couldn't help but be amazed at the vast number of worlds out there to be seen. His father, as an ambassador, had visited with leaders from all the worlds and always told Roxas about the different cultures. And, just as everyone predicted, after graduating Sora started interning under their father so he could take office as the next ambassador after finishing college at the elite T.T.U. located right in the center of the city. Roxas thought it was funny how he was the only one in his family avoiding politics.

Finally, after waiting for 6 hours, it was little after 10 and he knew he'd be in serious trouble if he didn't get home by 11, and it was a long train ride back to the other side of town. Roxas was very reluctant to leave though, he'd been counting down the days and he was positive this was the day the circies were supposed to come back…so then why were they still not here? He told himself not to worry, reminding himself of what Axel told him on their last night together. _"Roxy, we're not going to forget you, promise."_ Roxas smiled and got up, he couldn't even begin to say how much he'd missed Axel. His redhead love haunted his dreams and thoughts constantly but these were nothing compared to having the real Axel to hold onto.

It was a long ride home and he tried not to worry about where the circies were. They'd come back…As much as Roxas wanted to believe it, the farther away from the grounds he got the more it bothered him. He trudged up the stair to his room, noticeably less spirited than usual. Once the door was closed behind him he dropped his backpack on the floor and headed for the bathroom to change out of his uniform. He grimaced when he walked by his desk though and saw the outline for his senior project lying there hauntingly. He'd neglected it for many months and he had to have the presentation ready for the last day of school. It wasn't a deliberate neglect; it was just that he couldn't think up anything to do. Roxas sighed and continued to the bathroom to get ready for bed, deciding he'd have to do that project sooner or later.

Lying there in bed was when he really began to worry about the circies. What if something had happened to them? What if they wouldn't be coming back? What if he'd waited a year for nothing? He hated thinking about it but couldn't help it and he rolled over and hugged his pillow tightly and wishing that Axel was in it's place.

* * *

"Roxas?" 

Roxas heard his name but ignored it and continued staring dazedly out the window. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally and not in the mood for anything today; he hadn't been able to sleep and was still concerned about the circies. He'd asked his father if he could stay home today but it didn't work, so now he was sitting in AP Bio once again at the end of the school day.

"Roxas!" Professor Highwind repeated his name but there was still no response and he came over and stood between him and the window, "Are you in there Roxas?" Roxas looked up groggily, wondering what he'd missed even though he didn't care all that much today. "I asked if you knew the answer to problem 4," Professor Highwind told him, realizing the boy wasn't feeling well today but that still didn't give him reason to not participate in class.

Roxas looked up at the problems on the board, everything blurring together but he found the problem that read: _Bacteria are cells._ He was grateful to have an easy question since he probably wouldn't have been able to remember the more difficult answers right now. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut short when a loud siren started wailing through the school, and everyone quickly stood up and began to file out the door. It was the fire alarm, and since they all knew it was just a drill as usual they didn't bother being quiet or serious. Professor Highwind led them down the hall and Roxas walked with his friends, staying close as students from other classrooms filled the hallways as well. He was very glad to get out of class, and the deafening siren helped to take his mind off of his troubles. It wasn't until he saw a flicker of flame in front of his face that Roxas withdrew from the conversation, stopped, and looked around the crowded hallway.

"Roxas? What's up?" Pence asked him, the rest of his friends stopping to see what he was doing.

Roxas knew what he'd seen and knew what he had to do, "I think I dropped my iPod; you guys go on, I'll catch up," he lied but they bought it and, since they all assumed this was a drill, nobody worried about him staying behind. Roxas hurried back to the classroom and looked around, but not for the iPod that was in his pocket, he was looking for a certain someone, "Axel?" he called but the room was empty and by now the halls were clearing too. He hurried back out into the halls and called again, looking down all three halls for him but they were all empty.

_I know what I saw…_he told himself, hoping he hadn't just imagined it, "Axel?" but again his call went unheard and after waiting for a few minutes the siren was giving him a headache and he turned and went back into his classroom where it wasn't so loud. Like before, the classroom was empty and Roxas sat down in the teachers chair at the front of the room with a sad sigh. Who was he kidding? His mind was just playing a cruel joke on him, nothing more. He couldn't help but think of his redheaded lover and their short month together. He missed him so much and it was very difficult to hide that, impossible now though that he thought he'd come so close to finding him. "Axel…Where are you?" he asked out loud, a terrible sadness weighing down on him.

"Here I am!"

Roxas yelled nearly fell out of the chair in alarm, looking down under the desk quickly and yelling again in surprise. There was Axel, wearing a fiendish grin and before Roxas could say anything he'd pushed the chair back so he could climb out of his hiding place and he leaned in and took hold of the sides of his face before pulling him into a kiss.

Roxas literally threw himself up into his arms, returning the kiss with a year's passion built up behind it. As soon as he knew Roxas wasn't the least bit hesitant, Axel picked him up and set him down on top of the desk so he was more even with his own height then kissed his lips again, quickly delving in with his tongue.

The warm, familiar, muscle in his mouth made Roxas moan a little and he wrapped his arms around Axel's shoulders and pressed himself hard against his body. Neither one of them cared about the missing conversation that usually would have led up to this; the 'I missed you's, the 'I still love you's, and the 'We'll be together forever's. There was no need for them because these were obvious feelings and their passion could say them all. Axel finally withdrew from his mouth and kissed along his jaw line instead, giving Roxas a moment to catch his breath. But Roxas didn't want to catch his breath, he wanted Axel, and now that he had him he wasn't going to let go. It wasn't until several minutes later, when the fire alarm finally stopped, that they stopped and exchanged a quick, passion-dazed, look of realization.

"They're going to be coming soon," Roxas sounded out of breath and his face flushed, but he couldn't help but smile.

Axel kissed him again briefly before smirking a little and saying, "So are you," then he brought his lips back to Roxas' in another deep kiss. Roxas giggled against his kiss though and hugged him tightly; having trouble believing this was real. Axel, putting a lid on his passions for a moment, quickly decided that as baldly as he wanted to finish what he started, he didn't want to in front of Roxas' friends. So he resolved to pick him up off the desk and head for the door, unfortunately though they both heard the lock being undone.

"I don't care who started it! It is not okay to egg my car if someone else is doing it!" Professor Highwind shouted as he unlocked the door and came in, mad as a hornet. The class followed in and took their seats, all snickering at the incidents that happened in the parking lot. "Now, I may not know who was responsible for this, but when I find out your asses are fried!" Professor Highwind stormed over to his desk to put his keys away, but he noticed that all the papers that had once been stacked neatly on the desk were now a mess and his cup of pencils and other writing utensils had been knocked over, "Which one of you brats did this?!" he demanded, gesturing to the desk.

Now, while the egging of the car might have been done by some of them, nobody had touched his desk. Professor Highwind snorted angrily as he looked over the faces in the seats for some sign of guilt so he could blame them, but that was when he took notice of one of his student's absence, "Where the hell is Roxas?"

Nobody knew that in the short instant they'd heard the door being unlocked, Roxas and Axel had quickly gotten into the closet by the door and were too consumed in each other to even care about whatever the class was doing outside the door. Roxas was trying not to moan as Axel rubbed against him, and he wished so badly that the material between them was gone. Axel's mouth covered his to quite the little noises he couldn't contain while one hand moved around to the front and undid the belt before sliding his hand down under the material.

"And in short, when prokaryotic cells are chemically unbalanced they—" but Professor Highwind was cut short but a loud, yet muffled, moan. It wasn't loud enough for the rest of the class to hear but he did and immediately went to the closet and opened the door. He pulled the string hanging from the ceiling and the small room lit up. The shelves of lab tools were undisturbed and nothing at all looked out of place. After surveying the room he pulled the string again and turned out the light before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Roxas and Axel waited until they heard him continue his lecture before letting out the breath they'd been holding in. They'd almost been caught and would have, had they not been in the corner hidden by the door when it opened. While Roxas caught his breath, Axel took his hand out of the boy's pants and licked off the cum on his fingers before leaning down and nuzzling against the side of Roxas' head, "Hi," he whispered, easily finding and taking hold of his hand in the dark.

Roxas smiled and laughed quietly before saying, "Hi." As Axel kissed down his neck Roxas toyed his free hand through his hair and said, "You're late."

"There was an incident at an after party that delayed us," Axel said vaguely, laughing a bit at the memories. Roxas would have to ask him what that 'incident' was later, right now he was just enjoying his company, even when he pulled off his tie and hung it over the doorknob. He leaned up to kiss him but was disappointed when Axel put a finger to his lips to stop him, "We'll finish later Roxy, the others are waiting outside still," he explained before kissing his forehead and redoing his belt. Roxas was delighted to hear that and quickly sat up and straightened his shirt, then he realized something, "Axel, did you set off the fire alarm?"

Axel shook his head, "Ofcourse not…Riku did." Roxas laughed and they stood up, exchanging one more kiss before pressing their ears to the door to listen for the perfect time to sneak out. They heard Professor Highwind's voice on the other side of the room and Axel quietly opened the door, Roxas sneaking out first and he followed behind him after shutting the door. A few of Roxas' friends spotted them sneaking out the door and into the hallway but just laughed a little and knew: the circus was back in town.

* * *

"About time," Xigbar's huff alerted all the circies of the two people exiting the school. They'd all come as soon as the train pulled into the world to see Roxas; everyone save for Vexen, Lexaeus, and Marluxia obviously. Axel insisted on going in to get him, and asked for a distraction so Riku pulled the fire alarm. They all knew it would take a while if they sent Axel in, but didn't mind since having all the students come outside gave them a perfect chance to get some free publicity and they'd conducted a mini show in the time it took for order to be restored. 

As soon as Roxas saw them lounged on window sills and the statue in front of the school he let go of Axel's hand and ran up to them. Demyx and Larxene met him first, followed by Riku, then Luxord and Xigbar, until all the circies had hold of him. "Aw, Roxy we missed you sooo much!!!" Demyx squealed first as he clung to him with a huge smile.

"I missed you guys too," Roxas quickly said, somewhat suffocated by all the circies trying to hug him at once but he was so happy he didn't care.

"Alright, let's let him breathe alright?" Axel chimed in, clapping his hands but mainly he wanted them to let go so he could hold him instead.

Riku stuck his tongue out at him, "Oh be quiet, you're not the only one who wants to hug him."

"You'll get your turn…maybe," Larxene teased with a grin.

Xigbar was the first to notice that there was a classroom right beside them and every head was turned to stare at them except for the teacher whom had yet to notice her students' lack of focus as she wrote notes on the board, "Let's head back to the train, it's a little early for an audience."

"Nonsense!" Riku quickly let go of Roxas and went over to the window to take a bow. Demyx quickly followed and jumped onto his back, waving at the students while Larxene ran over and pressed her face against the window and blew her cheeks out to make them snicker. Roxas followed and ducked in between Riku and Larxene, Luxord and Axel following close behind. As the class laughed at their antics more the teacher became aware something was going on and just before she looked over they all ducked so the only person she saw was Xigbar whom had been watching them and shaking his head. She gave him a cold look before storming over to the window and lowering the blinds to shut him out.

"It wasn't me!" he shouted but she didn't hear him and the others laughed at him.

Roxas stopped first and sat up, "Why didn't you join in the fun?" he asked, wondering if everything was okay.

"He's still pissy about the after party," Demyx giggled, once again letting Roxas know something had happened.

Luxord laughed before explaining with a grin, "Well it turns out that Xigbar is allergic to all the rum in Tortuga. So he stayed sober until the after party when he figured one glass wouldn't kill him…Four later he had his head in the toilet and wished he was dead."

"I thought you were going to cut back on your drinking," Roxas said to remind him of the resolutions they'd all made before they left last year.

"Yeah I was but…Demyx is still afraid of cats!" Xigbar quickly tried to pin the failure of their resolutions on someone else.

"Am not!" Demyx insisted. However Riku leaned over behind him and meowed and Demyx quickly jumped away with a yell, and as payback he pointed to Riku and said, "He's still a bitch in the morning!"

Riku however could live with that, he'd tried and failed so he pointed over his shoulder at Axel and said, "Axel's still short tempered!"

"Larxene can't fold laundry!" Axel pinned the blame on her instead.

She shoved him then pointed at Luxord before saying, "That's true, but at least I made a resolution unlike someone!"

Luxord laughed and shrugged, "Guess Roxy is the only one of us that kept our resolution."

Roxas shook his head though, "Kairi did too." All the circies immediately focused more when they heard that and Roxas smiled as he told them, "She gave birth to a healthy baby boy about 5 months ago." Immediately the circies let out a cheer and latched onto him again, Riku being the first to ask, "Where are they? Can we go see them?"

"They're at the church, she's still staying with her parents," Roxas said, though as soon as the circies heard the word 'church' they immediately seemed reluctant to go, Roxas quickly assured them though, "Don't worry! They're over the whole 'circus folk are demons' thing." And with that the happiness erupted again and Larxene said, "C'mon! Let's go see her now! We should get all the circies together and have a big party!"

"You guys go ahead," Axel said, hugging Roxas a bit more, "We'll catch up with you later." Roxas smiled and nodded in agreement, he desperately wanted to spend time with Axel to catch up on all that had happened during their time apart.

"Suit yourselves, c'mon! I want to see the baby!" Demyx insisted as he tugged on Riku and Luxord's sleeves anxiously. Axel and Roxas watched them go and when they were around the corner Roxas turned and hugged Axel. Axel grinned and took his hand, kissing his forehead before leading him down the other road they could take back to his house, "Now, tell me everything that's happened."

* * *

"…I'm scared," Demyx said as he hid behind Larxene. They'd arrived at the large church, looming over the town square and towering over the other buildings. 

"It's just a building," Larxene assured him…then again it had been several, if not never, that the circies had been in a church.

"But what if we burst into flames?" Demyx asked, still worried about their being here, even if it was for Kairi.

Riku laughed and headed for the stairs, "Oh relax Demyx, that's not going to—AHH!" but as soon as he stepped onto the first one he yelled and fell backwards. Demyx screamed and Luxord caught Riku under the arms before he hit the ground and they both laughed before Demyx stormed over and attempted to kill him.

"Alright you pansies, I'll go first," Xigbar said, taking control of the situation as he went up the stairs and opened the large doors. As soon as he opened them though every head in the pews turned to see who was coming in…though seeing the rather brutish looking Xigbar holding the doors open, Larxene in her usual revealing attire, and Demyx straddling Riku as he tried to strangle him with Luxord still holding him under the arms was a very unusual and startling sight to take in. Riku, Demyx, and Luxord quickly straightened up and Larxene had to nudge Xigbar to get him to step through the doors. Slowly the circies went in and sat down at the only semi-empty pew at the front of the room, and they could feel the chastising gazes of those already seated. This was probably the first time in many years that any of the circies had felt uncomfortable, and it wasn't because of the hard wooden pews they were sitting on.

The sermon continued and they did their best not to interrupt…though the occasional pop of Larxene's gum quickly destroyed the moment of silence for prayers. Kairi's father was the head of the church there and an older, graying man and as he tried to continue his sermon he couldn't help but glance at the circies that stood out like sore thumbs. Sure the town wasn't afraid of them anymore but the last place they imagined them visiting was the church.

Still, they stayed on their best behavior and followed what others did whether it made sense to them or not. "Please stand and open to hymn 324 in the green book," the priest said, one command even the circies understood and they pulled them out of the back of the pews in front of them but since there were only three Riku shared with the old woman he was sitting beside, while Demyx and Larxene shared one like Luxord and Xigbar did. It was very unfamiliar tune to them and since only Riku and Demyx could read music the others had no clue how they should sound and thus stood out. It was probably a good thing they'd come in at the end of the service, that way this was the only song they had to make it through. Luxord was the first to notice the golden offering dishes coming around while they sang, and he paused to reach for his wallet.

"What are we doing now? Larxene asked curiously and reaching to take the money he pulled out of his wallet.

"Ah! Not for you Satan!" he hissed, pulling it away and tucking his wallet back into his pocket, "It's for the offering," he explained. Since he'd once given normal life a chance in this world for three years he had some general idea of what was going on and explained to the others, "See those dishes? You put money, checks, donation sheets, you know things of value in there and the church uses that to help out the less fortunate."

When they heard this the circies quickly searched their pockets for something they could give, but Vexen was responsible for all financial business and so he had all the money the circies made; the only reason Luxord had 10 dollars in his wallet was because of another after party incident in Tortuga, this one involving a lovely prostitute whom ended up paying him.

The dish got passed back to the elderly woman Riku was sitting by and she put in a 20 dollar bill before handing the dish to Riku. Now he'd accepted the fact that any money he had to his name was being held by Vexen for safe keeping, but he still wanted to do something to help out; and so he pulled out his pocket watch and dropped it in the dish before handing it on to Demyx with a pleased smile. Demyx saw what he'd put in and since he didn't have money either, he too put in the item of greatest monetary value he had: the large diamond star earring in his left ear. Larxene took the dish and put in her necklace, while Xigbar took off all three of his rings and dropped them in. By the time Luxord got the dish he felt almost out of place putting in 10 dollars, especially since each item the other circies had put in were at least ten times that in value. So ontop of that he took off the watch around his wrist and put it in before handing the dish back to the pew behind them. The woman who took it gave him an odd look when she saw what they'd put in, but smiled and continued to pass the dish on.

The hymn ended roughly the same time as the dish made it back to the preacher's hands and he was slightly confused when he saw the out of place items in the dish, but dismissed it and said, "Now, go in peace." As soon as he said it people started to leave, greeting everyone along the way and instantly the circies were swamped with greetings.

"I think they remember us," Demyx said with a slightly embarrassed laugh. They still felt out of place in the church but it was nice to know they weren't going to be stabbed with a crucifix or set on fire anytime soon. As the church slowly cleared out the circies wandered around the room, examining the unfamiliar objects with curiosity.

"You guys act like you've never been in a church before," Luxord said from where he was sitting in the front pew watching them like a parent supervising his children in a toy shop: making sure they don't break anything.

"I haven't," Riku admitted, though that actually wasn't a shock to any of them.

Demyx was the next to admit, "My parents were atheist so I only went to play the organ on Sundays."

"I was banned from my church for sleeping with the pastor," as soon as Larxene said it they all looked over to her and she shrugged as if it were nothing, "Hey he started it."

Luxord cleared his throat and tried to change the subject before they found out too much about that, "Anyone else want to confess?...Xigbar?" he asked with a grin.

"Shut up," Xigbar said, glaring at him threateningly.

Those two had actually grown up together, along with the late Ringmaster and so they obviously knew a lot more about each other than the other circies did. Riku was curious and asked, "What's Xigbar's history with the church?"

"You'd better not!" Xigbar said, looking like he was ready to kill Luxord, "You promised you wouldn't tell!"

"Pinky promises break after middle school Xigbar! I'm telling!" Luxord laughed though had to run from Xigbar as he said, "Xigbar was going to be a nun!"

This went over about the same as Larxene's affair with the pastor did, though this time they all were laughing. "You were going to be a penguin?" Demyx snorted before trailing off into giggles.

Xigbar stopped chasing Luxord when he climbed up a cross on the side of the room and was out of his reach, "It was 30 years ago, alright? So shut up!" he huffed as he sat down in the pew by the cross waiting for Luxord to come down so he could kill him. Then he got an idea and grinned maliciously up at him while saying, "Did Luxord ever tell you what his parents called him?"

"Xigbar Sebastian Harens I swear to God I'll—" But Luxord couldn't threaten him fast enough and Xigbar said, "Mr. Cuddly Bear!" The next instant Luxord had jumped off the cross he was on and landed on Xigbar, tackling him to the ground and snarling, "You sorry son of a—"

"Tut-tut! Watch your mouth, we're in a church Mr. Cuddly Bear!" Larxene squealed as she rolled with laughter. They stopped laughing when the door at the back of the alter opened and Kairi's father came out to see what the noise was. He was surprised to see them and the circies quickly composed themselves and Luxord and Xigbar stood up. After a few seconds of silence uneasy silence Riku spoke up, "Is Kairi here Mr. Collins…preacher…sir?" he really had no idea how he was supposed to address the head of the church and it was quite obvious.

"Father Collins," he told them, smiling a little though, "Yes, she's upstairs. Come, follow me," he said as he beckoned them through the door he'd come in through. The circies were reluctant to follow and Riku was 'elected' to go first when Demyx pushed him to the door, hiding behind him the whole time. Upstairs it was dead silent and there were many portraits of religious figures they couldn't identify. Father Collins led them down to the end of the hall and knocked on the door. "Come in," the circies all perked up when they heard the familiar voice and as soon as the door was open they all hurried in. They hardly recognized her in normal clothing with her hair cut shorter, back to the length it was the summer they'd met her.

Their attention went from her to the other person in the room, the little boy with bright green eyes and a head of silver hair who was sitting on the floor playing with blocks. Immediately they all turned on Riku who put his hands up defensively, "He's not mine!" Riku insisted, knowing that it was impossible for him to be the father despite the uncanny resemblance.

"Riku isn't the father," Kairi assured them though it was humorous how things had turned out, "Kadaj's dad is a man I met while we were doing a show in Midgar."

"Great, one more world we can't go back to," Larxene teased as she came over and hugged her, "We missed you!" Everyone else followed suit, except for Riku whom was very interested in the little boy and sat down across from him before handing him the red block he'd been trying to get but was out of his reach. Kairi saw him smiling out of the corner of her eye and was happy to see he was so interested in her son even if he wasn't his own. Riku patted him on the head and stood up before coming over to hug Kairi too. As soon as greetings were over the circies hurried over to play with the little boy, taking to him immediately.

Riku sat at the foot of the bed looking down at them playing with a smile but he seemed to have something on his mind and Kairi scooted over next to him before asking, "Why are you mad?"

He laughed a bit, was he really that easy to read? "I don't know…"

Kairi sighed and assured him, "It's a good thing he doesn't know him, trust me, he wouldn't have been a good father." Riku nodded and continued to watch the other circies play and fuss over him, understanding that no father was better than a bad one. Kairi smiled and nudged him, "You know, we could always tell him you're his dad."

Riku laughed and quickly shook his head, "Don't even think about it, I don't want any kids."

Kairi didn't believe that though and hugged her knees for a second before saying, "Okay…but Kadaj needs someone to look up to."

"I wouldn't be a good father," he insisted shortly, not liking what she was hinting at.

She disagreed with that; Riku would be a great father but she wasn't going to push him on such a touchy subject, "Then don't be his father," she said, smiling a little before asking, "Will you be his Godfather though?" The question shocked Riku and he quickly looked over at her, not sure whether she was being serious or not. "Yes, I'm being serious Riku," she told him, easily reading the question on his face.

He smiled and looked over at Kadaj for a moment before back to Kairi, "Ofcourse."

* * *

Aw, I love this chapter, just writing it gave me a warm feeling inside! But my opinion matters little! I want to know what you guys thought so please take the time to review! I really love them and those who write them! Unfortunately I have an AP Lit, AP Gov, Calculus, and an AP Bio final this week so I'm probably going to be very dead by the time I stumble in the door around 10 at night, so let me apologize now if it takes a while to get a new chapter posted. I really wish I could get them done faster because you guys deserve them, however since I can't I hope you understand. I'll do my best to reply to reviews on the chances I get to check my emails over the next week, but those too will take some time since I want to address each of you personally. So tell me what you though. Love it? Hate it? Wish I were dead? (Hopefully not the last one...But hey! Everyones entitled to an opinion XD) Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world!!!! 

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

PS: Yeah, the little boys' name is Kadaj XD All those who have seen FFVII: Advent Children know who he is, but he's not an evil baddy and wont grow up to be the evil baddy of that movie in my story XD


	15. Sick

Haha, okay so I'm not feeling very me tonight. I'm recovering from another immune system crash and the last one is actually what inspired me to write this chapter and I hope my icky feeling-ness hasn't affected my grammar, but if so I apologize now. Mmtay, so this chapter is a bit short compared to some others and it focuses on someone other than Roxas or Axel just because I felt like a change would be nice and I don't know about you guys but I'm always curious about what is going on for other characters. Is Demyx making a sandwich? Is Vexen painting his nails? Are Luxord and Xigbar trick-or-treating in Easter?

Okey-dokey! There are roughly 4 days left for the contest (it's the 27th here!) and while I've already received some very awesome entries which I love like mad there is still time for more! Just draw circie Roxy however you see him. The winner's design will be used later in the story and will officially be his circie attire for any and all shows he does! So let your creativity run free! No strings attached!

Enough of my tired ramblings, I've kept you waiting long enough! Presenting to you for your edification, enrichment, enjoyment, and/or pleasure: Chapter 14, Sick.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Sick**

'_Lets see…Right on McAndrews and then go two blocks down before turning left on Harrington Street, at Mrs. Jones bakery go left down the unmarked side street and…oh screw it I'm lost,'_ Riku huffed and sat down on a bench after wandering for well over an hour, _'Who goes to a university named T.T.U anyway? It sounds like some ballet crap.' _The other circies had gone back to the train with Kairi and Kadaj to catching up on what they'd missed. He knew Axel and Roxas wouldn't be there for another several hours since they had their own catching up to do. Riku however had to do something before he could go join them, and after getting directions from Kairi he set off…however he had no idea where he was or where to go.

Usually he wouldn't waste his time trying to contradict his horrible sense of direction, but he really wanted to find the university; especially since finding it meant taking care of something he'd been meaning to do for a year now. Riku sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms and tilting his head back to stare up at the sky and he noticed it was going to rain soon. "If I were a university, where would I be?" he asked, tilting his head back to see the sunset and noticing a sign on the wall behind him that read: _Twilight Town University_. He couldn't help but laugh at himself.

"Class dismissed. Please remember that all packets are due first thing tomorrow."

Sora looked up from his notes when he heard the professor dismiss them and he sighed heavily and dropped his head down to the tabletop, _'I'm screwed…'_ was all he could think as he stared down at the 14 page packet under his chin; only the first page and a half done in 2 hours of class. He felt like his head was going to explode from the questions he was being asked about all the worlds and knew it would be another long night; a sleepless one too since he still had a lot of homework for other classes that had piled up even though he'd been working non-stop all year.

He looked at his watch and groaned when he realized he had a class to get to so he quickly sat up and stuffed all of his work and books into a messenger bag and slug it over his shoulder before running for the door, not having time to stop and converse with his friends; unlike them he'd taken on twice as many classes and was now paying the price for it.

Sora only made it two steps out the door though before he was jerked to a stop and his backpack slid off his shoulder and went tumbling down the stairs. That was the least of his worries though when he felt the person who had hold of the back of his shirt shove him back against the wall and he shrunk a little under the unnerving gazes of two T.T.U. Seniors, Seifer and Rai. Now it was common knowledge that there was a huge gap between Freshmen and Seniors in high school, but in college that became twice as large and noticeable a gap.

"One week left brat," Rai said with a laugh as he pulled him into a headlock. Sora groaned, his headache getting 20 times worse but he was used to this kind of treatment by now; while he may have been loved during high school, his ego quickly betrayed him and he was nothing better than dirt this year. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his friends leave class, but when they saw what was going on they quickly hurried off before the two Seniors made them their next victims.

"We're going to miss you though," Seifer said with a false tone of caring, "So we got you a present." Sora quickly looked back to Seifer as he pulled out a bowl of ice cream from behind his back and with his other hand he reached to grab the belt holding up his pants.

"Hello Sora!" As soon as they heard it all three of them looked over at Riku, whom had walked right up unnoticed despite how vividly his clothing stood out from the school uniforms, "Bad time?" he asked as if nothing were going on.

Sora looked at him like he was mad; if there were anytime for him to take things seriously this was one of them. Seifer looked him over oddly like he was some kind of bug, "Get lost," he spat.

"I already did trying to get here," Riku said proudly.

"Scram!" snarled Rai. Riku looked from him, to Seifer, then Sora and laughed before turning and walking back down the stairs. Sora watched him go, pissed beyond pissed that he wasn't doing anything to help. "Now, where were we?" Seifer asked while undoing the belt. However, before he could do anything someone tapped him on the shoulder and when looked back to see who had interrupted him a fist collided hard with the side of his face. Seifer wailed in pain and fell down, furious when he saw Riku grinning, "Aw you fell down."

Rai shoved Sora out of the way and ran up to grab him, which was easy since Rai was easily 4 times his size and weight. Seifer got up and drew his fist back to hit him but Riku sprung up and flipped back over Rai's head, causing Seifer to punch Rai in the stomach instead and the giant let go of Riku. Riku landed behind Rai and on his way down he grabbed his pants and tugged them down to his ankles. Those who had been watching the fight laughed hysterically at the defamation of the two Seniors, and Riku turned to them and took a bow; he was actually enjoying this.

Rai quickly pulled his pants up and tried to shove Riku down the stairs while he was taking his bow but Riku ducked down further when he heard him and Rai ended up tripping over him and tumbling down the stairs. Riku looked back at Seifer with a grin, he was obviously furious as he charged at him and Riku stood up, sticking his foot out to trip Seifer down the stairs as well.

As the audience watched and laughed Rai and Seifer pulled themselves together and Seifer pointed at Riku, "You're dead!" but his threat did little since both he and Rai went running off right afterwards. Riku laughed and shook his head before taking another bow and turning back to Sora whom had redone his belt and was watching in shock. He came back over to help him up but Sora batted his hand away and got up on his own.

"Nice to see you too," Riku said, somewhat miffed now and so he picked up the bowl of ice cream instead and took a spoonful. Sora saw that and gave him an odd look, and Riku held out the bowl to him, "You want some?"

"I didn't need your help," Sora finally said as he brushed past him and down the stairs to collect his backpack and its fallen contents. Riku followed after him, taking another spoonful of ice cream before tossing it into the garbage can, "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was customary for people to put ice cream down your pants in public," he said while picking up some papers that had blown aside from the backpack. He looked at the rather thick packet of questions about many different worlds and noticed only 17 out of 150 were done, and he could tell that many of the ones answered were wrong, "Having some trouble in world studies?"

Sora saw what he had and snatched it away, stuffing it into his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder, "I'm fine," he insisted before walking off.

Riku followed and walked along beside him, "No, you see fine is when you don't have bags under your eyes, a snap in your voice, or ice cream in your pants."

"How did you find me?" Sora demanded, not even looking at him though.

"Some cute Juniors by the front gate helped me," Riku told him with a pleased grin to himself.

Sora sighed and shook his head, "Listen I'm very late as it is, just go away."

Riku wasn't listening though, and since Sora wasn't being all that friendly he figured he'd jump straight to the topic, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you and…Sora?" He stopped his mid-sentence when Sora stopped walking and became concerned when he put a hand on his head and shut his eyes, "Sora? What's wrong?" Sora heard him but all he could voice was a short and distorted whimper of pain before he felt his knees give out and he fell over, though Riku caught him, "Sora!" And that was the last thing Sora heard before going limp and completely blacking out.

* * *

Axel lie in bed, flat on his stomach and feeling horrible, "Sorry Roxy…" he mumbled into the pillow with a depressed sigh.

"For what? Axel you can't control the weather," Roxas said with a reassuring smile. About an hour ago as they were wandering through town it started to rain, and even if it wasn't a heavy storm a drizzle was more than enough to put out Axel's fire and Roxas sat by him in bed did his best to comfort him.

Axel grumbled and rolled over against him, wrapping his arms around his stomach while saying, "I know…but still."

Roxas held his head in his lap with a smile, bending down and kissing his forehead, "It could be worse."

Axel scoffed and opened one eye in mild amusement, "How?"

"You could be in another world," Roxas said and Axel smiled finally and nuzzled against him, before saying, "I missed you Roxy."

"I missed you too Axel," he said while trailing a hand through his hair, frowning a little when he felt how ice cold his skin was and he pulled the covers up tighter around him in hopes of warming his freezing lover.

"Roxy, don't worry," Axel sighed, knowing how little blankets helped and not wanting him to fuss over him.

"I'm allowed to worry," Roxas insisted.

Axel rolled his eyes and nuzzled against him closer, smiling a little before kissing Roxas' clothed stomach and drawing a surprised yet pleased gasp from his lips. He turned his head and started kissing lower until Roxas stopped him by saying, "I thought you said you don't have sex when you feel like crap."

"It's not sex Roxy, it's keeping Axel warm," Axel said in the most non-innocent tone Roxas had ever heard and he couldn't help but laugh, "The answer is no," he said and Axel heaved a sigh which turned into a cough. Roxas could tell he was miserable and wasn't up for that anyway so he leaned down and kissed his forehead, "I'm not all kinks you know."

Axel laughed as he was mocked and he hugged Roxas around his stomach, "That's my line. You have no kinks and it better stay that way."

"Hypocrite," Roxas said with a grin.

"I'm serious," Axel told him, almost sounding serious too, "Stay a good boy Roxy. Just because you're going to be a circie doesn't mean you have to act like anything you're not."

Roxas was almost surprised that he said this and quickly said, "I know that. It means I get to be me and nobody else."

Axel smiled and nodded, "Good boy Roxy," he said with an approving pat on the head though keeping his hand on Roxas' head allowed him to pull him down for a kiss. Roxas couldn't help but shiver with the cold lips on his but he soon melted in with the kiss; cold or not he was still Axel and he loved him none the less.

* * *

"_He's sick."_

"_With what?"_

"_Calm down. It's just because he's overworked, and stressed. That and with the pills having a—"_

"_Pills?"_

"_The blood test showed he was taking anti-sleeping pills, still relatively new to our pharmacies so he must have been very busy if he resulted to using those. As I was saying though, they've been having a negative effect it seems and the drug has slowly been eating away his energy until he collapsed completely and as a result his immune system has crashed."_

"_So what can you do for him?"_

"_There's nothing I can do. Calm down, all he needs is rest and relaxation. The drugs should be wearing off soon and when they do he'll wake up, but I'll warn you now he'll be in a lot of pain so he should probably stay here for a few days."_

"_That's alright; I'll take care of him."_

From where he was sitting by the bed Riku couldn't help but think back to the conversation that had happened much earlier that day. He drummed an unlit cigarette between his fingers as he tried to figure out what to do. Sora was a mess and he couldn't stand by and watch him crash like so many others were doing, especially now. After Sora collapsed at the college Riku took him to the hospital, where the doctor hadn't been any help; all he'd said was that he needed rest and relaxation. Those were two things Sora obviously had been deprived of for a very long time and Riku wondered just what he'd been up to in their year of absence.

* * *

God how his head hurt, Sora quickly put a hand on his head to try and push the pain out but it didn't help and he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw it was dark he sat up with a jolt, panicking when he realized how late it was. Sitting up quickly only made his head hurt more but that was also when he noticed Riku sitting by the bed, his arms folded on top of the bed and his head resting on his hands. He remembered the fight with Rai and Seifer, then arguing with him on the way to his next class but he couldn't remember what happened next.

Sora reached over to push Riku off of his bed but stopped and reconsidered with a sigh. In all honesty he was the last and the first person he wanted to see, as little sense as that made it made even less sense to him, and he didn't want to wake him up only to end up arguing again. He didn't have time to think about him right now, he had too much work to do and he got out of bed carefully so as not to wake him up. To say the least, it felt odd to be back in his bedroom. He hadn't been home in over 5 months since he'd rented an apartment close to campus, though he spent little time there and even less of that time in bed. Sora wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, and despite the piercing headache he had he felt much better than before.

His backpack was by his desk but when he opened it and saw it was empty he panicked and quickly looked around for his notebooks, binders, and textbooks. When he saw them scattered on the top of the desk he was very confused and looked through them to see if anything was out of place. That was when Sora realized something very surprising: all of his work was done. Everything for world studies, Latin, law, debate, astronomy, and even advanced trigonometry. He paged through the world studies packet before looking over at Riku sleeping soundly and he was unable to figure out why he'd done this.

Finally he couldn't take it and he went over and shook him a bit to get him to wake up; all he succeeded in doing though was making him fall over though. When he hit the floor he woke up and he looked up at Sora with a mild annoyance that was being subdued by his relief to see him up.

"You okay?"

Now Riku had expected a 'leave' or a 'get the hell out' but he was being pleasant, much unlike earlier, "Never worse, what about you?"

"Okay I guess," Sora could tell he was still miffed about earlier and probably wanted to leave, but he wanted to know, "What happened?"

"You passed out after being a bitch," Riku explained while picking himself up off the floor and heading for the balcony, "Doctor says you're overworked and exhausted, that and those pills made you crash."

Sora didn't say anything though he did turn and hurry into the bathroom, pulling open the medicine cabinet and seeing that the bottle of pills was gone and he ran back into the other room, "What did you do?!" he demanded, glaring at Riku.

Riku reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle along with his lighter, "With these? Nothing yet," he said before lighting his cigarette.

"I need them Riku, give them back now!" Sora said, trying to take them from him but Riku moved out onto the balcony and Sora stayed inside and out of the rain.

"What you need is to take a break before you crash completely," Riku called back over the noise of the rain, "Not these things. Come on, where's last year's Sora?"

"Get back in here!" Sora shouted though the pain in his head was getting worse and worse.

Riku shook his head though and went over to the railing of the balcony, climbing up on it and ignoring Sora's shouts. He took one final drag of his cigarette before flicking it away and tossing the bottle up into the air then he shut his eyes, leaned back, and fell.

Sora panicked as soon as he saw the bottle go up in the air, and more so when Riku fell; so without second thought he ran over to the railing. Time seemed to freeze when he realized what was going on: he had to choose which one of them to catch. He considered it for a split second before reaching over the side and grabbing Riku's ankles, and he didn't notice Riku catch the bottle and tuck it back into his pocket "You're not going to let go now are you?" he asked sounding hopeful especially since both the ground and any widow sill was very slippery with rain and would make a safe landing difficult.

Sora said nothing, he just pulled him back up over the railing which was very difficult to do since he still felt very drained and as soon as Riku was safe he almost fell over, completely out of breath and his head throbbing. "See what they did to you?" he heard Riku say and then noticed him take something out of his pocket, shocked to see the bottle of pills, "So? What are you going to do?" he asked before handing it to him.

Sora took the bottle and looked from it to Riku, then he took the lid off the bottle and turned it upside down over the side of the railing and letting them all fall out and to the ground before tossing the empty bottle as far as he could. It was a difficult choice and while his body may have wanted them he knew he couldn't ever touch them again. He'd just been faced with a choice of saving them or Riku, and in that brief moment he'd considered saving the drugs instead he knew he had to give them up.

Riku watched but said nothing. Just because they were gone didn't make Sora any less of a mess and he knew he had a lot to do in one month, "Come on," he said, heading back inside but stopping when he saw Sora hadn't moved and he turned back, "Sora?"

He didn't say anything though Riku heard him laughing and he finally said, "This is why I didn't come…This is why I didn't come see you guys off," he continued his laughing before leaning over the railing, "Tell me, what would you do if I jumped?"

Riku didn't panic, that was the last thing to do right now, "I'd catch you."

"Exactly! You keep messing up my plans!" Sora yelled before slumping down on the ground but still holding onto the railing. Riku didn't say anything, he just watched and after a few minutes Sora laughed and said, "Last year I didn't come watch you guys leave because I knew I'd want to come…You made me second guess the plans I already had! You made me want to change them even though I was happy already and would have been fine! So I stayed home so you couldn't mess up my plans! You did anyway though…I've been regretting the choice to stay all year and can't stop thinking about what would have happened if I'd gone!"

Sora laughed a little more before resting his sore head against the railing. He felt so sick but at the same time relieved to have finally said all that. What happened next though made him feel much better, despite the shock. Riku came up behind him and knelt down, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him securely. It only lasted for a moment though and before he let go he said, "I'm sorry," and with that said he stood up and started to leave.

When he let go Sora felt horrible and wished he hadn't said anything. Keeping the truth bottled up would be easier than hearing the last thing he'd ever expected: a clearly hurt apology. It wasn't his fault, Riku hadn't actually done anything bad to him and without second thought he picked himself up off of the ground and hurried after him. In a half hug, half fall he caught up with and stopped him, "Take it back..." When Sora fell against him Riku quickly turned and helped hold him up but Sora shook his head and repeated, "Take it back! Don't be sorry!"

To say the least Riku was confused but if that's what it took to calm Sora's instability then he'd comply, "I'm not sorry."

Sora smiled before going quite limp, "Good…"

It was obvious that Sora's weak immune system was getting the better of him and Riku wasn't about to let him stay out here and get sicker, so he picked him up and brought him back inside. "Alright, get changed out of those wet clothes," Riku said after putting him down on the bead and heading to the bathroom to get a towel to dry off with. Sora did as he was told, but he still felt numb and dry sleep clothes didn't help that. So now Sora lie in bed, his hands on his head as the returning pain drove him mad. After only minutes he was ready to knock his head against the wall in an attempt to drive it away but he refrained and kept curled up on his side, trying desperately to ignore the pain.

Riku had finished drying off and wringing the water out of his clothes before coming out of the bathroom, still damp but not too bad. He saw Sora curled up facing the wall, obviously in a large amount of pain, "You've got to relax." When he heard him, Sora didn't move for fear he'd only hurt himself more. He felt the bed shift as Riku sat down beside him, "Doctor says, rest and relaxation are the only things that are going to get you better," he told him.

Sora grimaced and curled up tighter, almost to the point of forming a perfect ball, "Well that's possible."

Despite his attempt at sarcasm Riku could easily hear the pained edge in his voice, "Anything's possible with the right leverage," he said before taking hold of Sora's shoulders and trying to move him but Sora didn't want to budge and Riku said, "I'm trying to help. I promise it wont mess up any of your plans."

Sora felt guilty when he heard that but allowed Riku to roll him over onto his stomach and he sat on his back with his hands still on his shoulders. Suddenly he forgot all about the guilt, work, and stress and began to loosen up quickly when Riku's hands began to rub into the tight muscles in his shoulders. He had difficulty believing what he was feeling, the relaxing sensation slowly dissolving away the pain in his head and he just lay there enjoying it for several minutes in silence.

"Better?" Sora unwillingly came back to his senses and looked over his shoulder at Riku, giving a short nod though he wished he hadn't because as soon as he had Riku let go of his shoulders and got off of him. Sora sat up, feeling a little light headed but at least the pain was gone.

"Do yourself a favor and stay home tomorrow, missing one day of school won't kill you," Riku said while pulling out his packet of cigarettes. It was empty though and he sighed and tossed it into the wastebasket by the door.

Sora nodded but asked, "Were you the one that did my work?"

"I had to call Vexen about the math but other than that, yeah. Waiting for you to wake up for 7 hours made me bored," Riku said casually. Even if he'd never made it past his freshman year of high school he'd picked up on many things over his years with the circus and knew them well, everything but math. Math was hell on paper.

Sora laughed a little, not trusting the answers to the problems but he was grateful for the help, "Thanks." Riku nodded and there was a lengthy moment of silence which Sora finally broke, "What I said a while ago…I'm sorry, you didn't do anything wrong," when he said it he could feel the pain in his head returning and he hoped it didn't show.

"Are you sure?" Sora looked up and saw the grin on his face when he said, "I'm here for a month and plan on making sure you get better, so if I didn't screw up your life last summer there's always a possibility I will this year."

Sora smiled and shook his head, "You're a very difficult person."

"I know," Riku said before getting off the bed, "I'm also a tired person so I'm heading back."

"Okay," Sora said though the pain in his head got worse and he cringed and bit his lip. Riku noticed and gave a concerned look, but Sora assured him, "I'll be fine…You know if you're tired you can stay here," he said, hoping it didn't sound that blunt.

Riku laughed and came back over and put a hand on his head to push him down into bed, "It's much easier if you just say 'please stay the night' or 'I can't live without you' or something like that." Sora laughed a little but didn't know if that meant he was staying or not. He got his answer when Riku lied back down and pulled the blanket up over them before getting comfortable and asking, "You're not going to wake up bitchy like last time are you?"

"Depends are you?" Sora asked with a grin.

"If you wake me up early, then yes I will," Riku said and Sora laughed some more, quieting down when he gave him a look to make it clear he wasn't kidding. Riku couldn't be serious very long though and he joined in the laugh before shoving Sora over, "Brat." Sora felt much better with him here and he pulled the covers tightly around him, "Thanks Riku," he said as his headache faded quickly and in no time he fell into a much needed sleep.

* * *

Well there's Sora! Not exactly like the reunion between Axel and Roxas huh? I had this written completely different at first but I liked this one better, though what I really want to hear what you guys thought. We all know that life isn't all love, fluff, and jolliness, so I don't think stories shouldn't be that way either. Personally I'm worried how this chapter will go over just because it doesn't fall into the romance/humor genre I've classified this story as…even though I've broken that a few times already. I guess I'm worried because this stirs up all sorts of rumors of Riku/Sora pairings I've been trying to avoid 'yay'ing or 'nay'ing, though I still won't tell you if they'll be a pairing or not. Yes, I am evil, enjoy the suspense but please tell me what you thought in the mean time! I know I haven't replied to all of chapter 13's reviews but I promise I will! I love you all and thank you for taking the time to read, until next time I wish you all the best in all the world.

_Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter_


	16. Torn and Tearing

I'm so horribly sorry everyone! I never wanted to keep you waiting for so long! This chapter almost killed me. No kidding I rewrote this 3 time start to finish, and then just the other day I cut out 5 pages at the end because they weren't cooperating and turned it a completely different direction, what a mess huh? School, rehearsals, and two auditions weren't helpful at all either, but now life is falling back into a semi-brisk pace and I've had the time to finish my thoughts and post this chapter. What I haven't had time for though is replying to review that have backed up again. I will though, I will I will! Promise! In fact I'll get that done tonight! I truly love and thank you all for them, seriously, this story would be nothing without you guys! You're awesomely awesome!

Also the contest winner has been announced! Congratulations to echi! You can see the winning costume over at my DA (Linked through my profile! It's my homepage and it's in the journal entry) and I'm going to post the rest of the costume links there later on tonight. Thank you to everyone who entered, I loved all the costumes but in the end could only choose one. Hugs and love unlimited to all of you though!

Haha! Why am I ranting though! You're here for the chapter, not my drabbles! I've kept you waiting long enough, and here it is! Chapter 15! Enjoy!

(Please forgive the title, this was another thing that changed many times)

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Torn and Tearing**

"Holy frickin cow!!!" Axel screamed, waking with unmatched shock as a shrill ringing filled the room. In his jerky attempt at sitting up he fell over and out of the bed, landing on the floor as Roxas woke up and laughed at him before reaching over and tapping the button on the top of the alarm clock that was ringing.

Axel poked his head up over the side of the bed when the sound subsided, his eyes the size of golf balls and he looked genuinely shocked, "…What the hell was that?!"

"You've been a circie for 8 years and didn't know you had an alarm clock on your bedside table?" Roxas couldn't help but laugh at him as he crawled around to the other side of the bed and took the clock off of the table, sitting on the ground as he examined it with the utmost hatred, "Evil machine. It even has the right time," Axel scowled at it as he compared the time to that on his watch, "Why'd it go off?"

"I set it," Roxas answered as he climbed out of bed and hugged Axel from behind, smiling when he felt his skin was warm and meant that his cold was gone.

"For 6AM?" He obviously was far less awake than Roxas and he wasn't exactly happy to have to get up, especially since his mental clock was still on Caribbean time.

"Unlike you, I have to go to school," Roxas told him before kissing Axel on the cheek and standing back up, "School starts at 9 and I still have to get back home, shower, and get ready for class."

"Aw just skip Roxy," Axel whined as he turned and hugged his leg to keep him from leaving, "Please."

Roxas smiled and shook his head, "I can't, finals are today and if I miss they won't let me make them up."

"So?" Axel complained, obviously he didn't want him to leave.

"So, if I don't pass finals I don't get to graduate, and if I don't graduate I have to redo my Senior year and that means I don't get to come with you guys," when he put it that way Axel immediately let go and stood up, pushing him to the door while saying, "Go Roxy! Go, go, go!"

Roxas laugh and opened the door before turning to kiss Axel on the lips, hugging him around the shoulders, "I set it an hour early for a reason you know." Axel grinned and reached past him to shut the door.

The sun was barely up when Roxas finally got home and he quietly opened the door, not wanting to be caught sneaking home at this hour. The entry hall was well lit as always though appeared to be empty, the door leading to the garden in the center of the house was open, as well as the one to the study and Roxas quickly and hurried over to the stairs. He barely made it three steps up before he heard, "Roxas?" and he froze dead in his tracks. "Where have you been?"

Roxas turned around to face his father, whom had obvious been sitting up for many hours now, "You're supposed to be home by midnight!" Roxas didn't say anything, figuring since this was his first violation of curfew he'd get off scuff free, but he really hadn't expected his dad to be so worried. "Professor Highwind came by last night with your backpack, he said there was a fire drill but you never came back to class. I've been worried sick Roxas! Where have you been?"

While his father knew he was familiar with the circus, and word had gotten around to him that he'd even performed with them during their shows, he still didn't know about his relationship with Axel or that he was leaving with them at the end of the month, "I was staying at Pence's house," Roxas lied, knowing very well that he couldn't tell him that he'd been sharing a bed with Axel, "His girlfriend dumped him so some of us stayed the night to pick him up."

Apparently his father bought the lie and he came over and hugged Roxas, "Well at least call next time, you really had me worried." Roxas smiled and hugged him back; his dad really loved him and his brother but what he said next made Roxas feel horribly uneasy, "I don't know what kind of mess I'd be if I lost you." Roxas didn't say anything, how was he supposed to tell him he was leaving? "Alright you, go get ready for school," his father said, patting him on the head and sending him up the stairs.

* * *

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Kairi said with a slight laugh when the door to the common car opened and Riku came in. Demyx leapt at the word 'cat' and ducked behind the couch instantly.

"No cats Demyx, you can come out," Axel said while reaching behind the couch and pulling him up to see it was all clear.

Riku was somewhat surprised to see only three circies plus Kadaj up and in the common car, "Where's everyone else?"

"They're still trying to get over Caribbean time," Axel told him, "What are you doing up though? Did Jack catch you with Jill?"

Riku looked at him oddly, "Innuendos with storybook characters?"

Axel nodded and laughed before reaching over to pat Kadaj on the head, "Gotta be careful with a little circie in the room."

Riku came over and picked up Kadaj, "Jack found out Jill was fetching a pail of water with the fairy godfather, so he huffed and he puffed and broke baby bear's bed."

They all laughed and that topic quickly got brushed under the rug before any more fairy tales could be corrupted. "Are we setting up today?" Demyx asked as he climbed back over the couch and sat down.

"Ofcourse. Vexen set our first show date for Sunday so we don't have much time to get ready," Riku said while hugging Kadaj and sitting on the arm of the couch.

Kairi was surprised to hear that and had to ask, "No slack time?"

Riku shook his head and told her, "Wise Vexen, who believes he can never do wrong, forgot about the day change between Port Royale and Twilight Town so what he thought was Monday of next week was actually Sunday of this week."

"Genius," Kairi sighed with annoyance.

Axel shrugged, "Ah well, it just means we get to take our last week here off. Enjoy our fame."

Riku liked the idea of having the last week to rest but wasn't too thrilled about an early show date since they were still recovering from their last set of shows, "Where's Roxy?"

"School," Axel said shortly, obviously not thrilled about it, "He's got finals today."

"At least it gives us time to set up…alright, who's waking up the others? Not it!" as soon as he said it Kairi and Axel yelled, "Not it!" and Demyx followed a split second afterwards, everyone grinning at his loss. He whined and pointed at Kadaj, "He didn't even say it though!"

"When he can talk we'll take that into consideration, for now you're stuck with it," Axel said, pushing him a little to get him going. Setup went surprisingly quick, especially since the circies had to take turns watching Kadaj, and around late afternoon they'd finished up. Axel was eager to go pick Roxas up from school in an hour or so, and until then he and Riku were going into town to stir up some publicity and put up posters to advertise the show.

"So, where were you really all night?" Axel asked just as soon as they were away from the train.

Riku wasn't that surprised Axel knew, "Am I that obvious?"

"Don't worry I'm the only one who noticed. Demyx was too preoccupied by the cat comment and Kairi was too busy making sure you didn't drop Kadaj," Axel assured him with a pat on the head, "You came back without a grin, definitely not a night with any Jill."

"Hm," was all Riku said, not realizing the little things he did to give away his moods other than the usual morning bitchyness. "Well?" Axel persisted, very interested in what kind of mischief he'd gotten into on just their first day back.

Riku figured there was no sense in trying to lie if Axel was being so observant and would catch him in a lie, "Sora wasn't feeling great so I tried to make him feel better," it wasn't a lie, just not the full truth; he was going to tell anyone about Sora's condition.

"You mean Roxy's brother?" Axel asked, taking a moment to recall who Sora was, "Oh I see…You were with a Jack, not a Jill," he said with a snort and Riku quickly cuffed him over the back of the head. "Kidding! Kidding!" Axel said, still laughing though as he rubbed the back of his sore head. He waited a few seconds before grinning and chanting, "Riku and Sora sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" He barely made it to the second syllable before Riku turned to silence him and Axel had to run as he continued his taunting. They'd gone into town to advertise the circus and all they ended up doing was making a show that caused many people to stop, stare, and wonder why the two circies were wrestling in plain view with their posters scattered all over the ground.

"Riku? Axel?" the familiar voice made both circies stop; Axel frozen holding Riku to the ground, one leg painfully twisted underneath him as his hands tried to pull Riku's off of hair and ear. They both looked up at the ambassador, Ashton Eliot, whom was standing by them with a look of utter confusion on his face, "What are you two doing?"

They quickly stood up, clothing and hair a mess but smiling none the less, "Just playing," Riku said, obviously holding no feelings of hostility for the mocking though he certainly hoped the ambassador hadn't heard it. Mr. Eliot looked at them and cleared his throat before running a hand through his hair, discreetly letting them know their appearances were very messy still.

Axel and Riku looked at each other and realized what he meant, laughing before fixing the other's appearance. When they looked back to him he gave a pleased grin and asked, "I was worried when I didn't see you the other day," he said. The ambassador was always the first to know when they arrived in a new world since they had to wait for his approval before they could enter the world.

"We got delayed in Port Royale," Riku explained, leaving out their exact reason.

"Ah well, it's just good that you're here. The town's been abuzz with talk of the circus for months," the ambassador told them with a laugh as he got down to help them pick up their fallen flyers. Axel and Riku quickly picked them up and took the ones he'd collected, "So were you coming to check on us?" Axel asked, wondering why he was out.

"No actually, I was going to wait until the weekend just in case you were delayed," the ambassador told him, but what he said next didn't go over that well, "My oldest son Sora called me from college a few minutes ago."

While it may not have been noticeable, Axel could see the glint in Riku's eye the said it all, "Oh? Is he in trouble or something?"

"Not feeling well at all apparently. He asked me to bring him the box in his closet saying it was very important," the ambassador explained, gesturing to the box in his hand, "Hope it's important enough to walk out of the meeting with the Chinese ambassador," he added, sounding troubled by what he'd done.

Riku glanced at the box then back to the ambassador, "We'll take it to him if you'd like to get back."

The ambassador sighed, "I would like to take it to him, especially since he hasn't been home for almost 5 months now…I can't cancel this meeting though. Would you take this to him please? He's over at T.T.U. in building J, room 21 with Professor Garrett."

"Ofcourse we will," Riku said, holding his hand out to take the box. The ambassador gave it to him and thanked them once more before hurrying back to his car and driving off. When he was gone Axel looked to Riku whom looked rather miffed and still had that glint in his eyes, "So, I'm guessing it's serious?"

"More serious than he realizes," Riku said, opening the box and finding an unlabeled bottle, in which were odd looking pills Riku recognized as the ones from before. Axel shook his head, and nudged him, "Well, go on. I'll finish hanging these and pick Roxy up," he said, knowing what was bothering him. Riku nodded and thanked him with a hug before heading off to find the college. He made it three steps before Axel whistled and stopped him, "Hey, the college is that way," Axel said while pointing behind him. Riku was about to question how he knew this then he saw the big green sign reading 'T.T.U.' on the street corner that had an arrow pointing in the same direction Axel was.

* * *

Sora couldn't understand a word of what was being said in class, his headache distorting everything he heard and saw. He knew he shouldn't have come today but he couldn't risk falling behind. That was the only thing that made him come today, and he'd had to wait for Riku to leave that morning to get out of bed and get to class.

The ring of the intercom made him cringe and lower his head, whimpering a little when he heard the loud voice of the headmistress, "Professor Garrett? Would you send Sora Eliot and his belongings to my office please?" that much Sora heard and it echoed in his head, springing the question: what on earth did she want with him? He gathered up his work and slung his backpack over his shoulder before leaving class. The walk to the main office was a complete blur, his feet carrying him lifelessly through the doors and a secretary in the main room said something like, "She'll see you now," and pointed him down another hall. In his pained daze Sora didn't hear the laughter and conversation going on behind the door before he opened it. When he saw the headmistress Tifa Lockhart, seated behind her desk, and Riku sitting on top of the desk with his back to the door Sora groaned quietly in his throat.

"There he is," announced the headmistress with a smile, looking from Riku to Sora.

Riku spun around to face Sora, "Rotten brat, why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful headmistress!"

Tifa pushed him in play, laughing a little, "Behave you!" she said before looking back to Sora, "Mr. Mercutio here has a note from your father that says you're to come with him."

"Lucky me," Sora said quietly.

"Mr. Mercutio? Please, call me Riku," he said before turning back to the headmistress and she laughed and leaned forward, resting her arms on her desk, "Well then, you may call me Tifa."

"Tifa, lovely name," Riku said with a grin but despite his desire to stay and get to know her better he reminded himself of why he was here, "We'll have to resume at a later time, I need to get Sora home."

"Aw, well here's my number," she said, taking out a business card and writing her phone number on the back. Sora sighed and shook his head, feeling ill. Riku wasn't the first to hit on the headmistress; he was just the first to pique her interest. Riku took the card from her, kissing her hand as he did so, "I'll be in touch," he said before heading for the door, "Come on," he said, taking Sora's bag and slinging it over his shoulder before ushering him out of the door, waving to the headmistress, and closing the door behind them.

"Do you have to hit on every girl you see?" Sora asked with a huff.

"Not all of them, just the attractive ones," Riku told him and Sora laughed before informing him, "She's married you know." When he heard that Riku quickly took the card out of his pocket and tossed it into the nearest wastebasket and Sora laughed further at him, "Well that was a quick change of heart. Don't like married women?"

"Oh definitely not. They want way too much commitment," he said with a slight shudder as if disliking the word extremely.

Sora sighed and shook his head, "Typical."

Riku was somewhat offended by that and gave him an odd look, "I tried commitment once with your ex, it wasn't pleasant."

"Well I suppose you'll have to try again now that Kadaj is coming with you guys," Sora said quickly, as if wanting to get that subject over with as quickly as possible.

However Riku gave an annoyed sigh and practically barked, "I'm not the father!" by now he was getting more than sick of people thinking that.

Sora smiled and shook his head, "I know, I know. Kairi told me already, but you're still going to have to watch out for him since you're his Godfather." Riku nodded, feeling foolish for jumping to assumptions though he didn't say it, instead he changed the topic, "Sounds like you're feeling better."

It wasn't until then that Sora realized he was right. His headache had faded drastically though lingered on, and the ringing in his ears was gone, "Does this mean you're going to let me go back to class now?"

"Nope. Because I told you to stay home today, and since you proved you can't be trusted I'm going to have to make sure you get better," Riku said with a grin, almost like he had something planned. Sora didn't like that grin and he sighed, then Riku asked him something he hadn't expected: "Why are you trying so hard anyway."

"Because unlike you I have future plans I need to work for," Sora said, not meaning to snap but he didn't like the question.

"Touchy, touchy," Riku said, though was still curious, "And what are those plans?"

Sora started to reply but then second guessed himself. After a few seconds he answered, "To take over as the next ambassador ofcourse."

"Politics?" Riku laughed a bit, "Doesn't seem to fit you."

"You don't know anything about me," Sora said, once again snapping at him.

His temper didn't seem to hinder Riku's persistence though, he simply shrugged, "True. But whose fault is that?"

Sora didn't like the question, "Are you saying it's my fault?"

"Well you aren't very nice when it comes to making friends," Riku said with a grin.

Sora scowled, his temper flaring, "Friends? I didn't even want to know you, hell I'd be far better off that way." He caught himself saying it too late and, despite its falsehood, couldn't take it back.

Riku stopped and gave him a look of inquiry, "You really think that?" he asked, the grin gone which was very odd for him. Sora said nothing, no answer coming to him and he really didn't know what to say. After a few moment Riku pulled off Sora's backpack and dropped it at his feet, "Fine then, I give up," he reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills he'd taken from the ambassador and dropped them too, "Don't say I didn't try."

Sora looked at him quickly, expecting it all just to be some mockery of his; but no, he was serious and walked off, "…Hey wait!"

Riku didn't want to hear it though, and didn't even look back, "Go back to class."

* * *

Axel sat on the stairs outside of the school, tapping his feet impatiently as he waited for Roxas. School had let out almost an hour ago and many of the students had already gone home, a few lingering on campus but Roxas was nowhere to be seen. Now his patience had never been that impressive but he was doing his best to wait. After only a few more minutes though his best wasn't good enough and he got up and went inside to find his Roxy.

He assumed he'd be in the same classroom he'd been in yesterday when he came to get him, and when he peeked through the door window he was delighted to see Roxas sitting in his desk. However, he didn't seem happy at all, and that instantly struck a foul note with Axel and he opened the door to see what was wrong. Once inside he saw two other people, the ambassador and a blonde man whom Axel remembered as the professor who'd almost caught them in the closet yesterday.

"Axel?" the ambassador looked the most shocked to see him, "What are you doing here?"

Axel realized he'd walked into a real mess. However, many years of improv quickly fabricated a lie, "Sora sent me to tell Roxas he wasn't going to be able to make it to lunch on Sunday." Axel could see Roxas' mood hadn't improved any and he'd kept his eyes on the desk he was sitting at, so he tried to sneak into whatever was going on, "Everything okay?"

"Not at all," the ambassador told him though not saying anything in detail.

Axel didn't like hearing that, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can sign, seal, and deliver a senior project for Roxas by Monday," Cid said with a disapproving look at Roxas, "Valedictorian or not, you can't graduate until you present a finished senior project."

As soon as he heard that Axel immediately realized why the other two were upset with him, "Roxy! You haven't done your senior project yet?"

Roxas was shocked that he too was reacting this way but before he could say anything Cid shook his head, "Done? He hasn't even handed in his letter of intent, mentor consent, or first log yet." To hear he hadn't finished was one thing, to find out he hadn't even decided what to do was worse.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Roxas finally mumbled and all three of them looked to him in shock.

"How can you say that? If you fail your senior year no college in any of the worlds is going to want you," his father quickly said, flustered beyond all comprehension.

When Axel heard that he looked to Roxas, "You haven't told him?"

"Told me what?" the ambassador asked, looking from Roxas to Axel.

Roxas immediately knew what Axel meant and he opened his mouth to explain. Axel however wasn't going to let him; if Roxas hadn't done this for their entire year of absence he couldn't expect to make it up now. But when he saw the look of plea in Roxas' eyes he couldn't bring himself to say what he meant to and instead he said: "That Roxy was waiting for us to come back to do his project."

The ambassador seemed to buy that and he looked to Roxas for further explanation, and Roxas quickly pulled a lie together, "Well you know how I'm always writing up songs right? And I really love performing them, so I've been working and planning all year for them to come back so I could finally display all my hard work during one of their shows."

There was a brief silence and Cid looked up to Axel, "And will that work?"

"Absolutly. We've actually got our first show on Sunday night so Roxas can do it then and have the project ready to hand in on Monday," Axel said. Roxas always felt horrible when Axel called him 'Roxas' rather than 'Roxy', and that meant that while he may seem fine, things were far from it.

The meeting concluded and Roxas was glad it was over, though he worried about the walk with Axel that would follow. His father had another meeting in town and trusted him to get home by himself, disappearing around the corner in his car before Axel turned to Roxas and opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed like the words were caught in his throat because he didn't say anything for a few seconds before shutting his mouth again. Roxas knew it wasn't his place to talk now; he had to do this, "Axel I'm sorry." Axel didn't say anything and Roxas continued quickly trying to explain, "If I told him he'd panic and make sure I never left the house again."

"He loves you Roxas, and so do I; you can't expect everyone to be supporting of your choice," Axel said.

Roxas didn't anything for a few moments though he dropped his gaze from Axel's to the ground, not sure of what to do, and that was just what Axel asked him next, "What are you going to do?" Roxas looked up at him quickly though, "What do you mean?" he asked, not liking the way he said it.

Axel obviously didn't like asking it either, "…All I'm saying is you can still change your mind." When he heard that Roxas felt horrible and it must have shown because Axel looked away to avoid his eyes. Roxas immediately lunged out and hugged him though, shaking his head violently, "No! I've waited for a year! I can't wait any longer and don't ask me to!"

Axel quickly held onto him and tried to comfort him as Roxas hid his face in his chest. "I'm not Roxy, I'm not," Axel said, and Roxas was soothed a little when he heard him called by the name he'd grown so fond of. Axel cooed him with more words, nuzzling his face into the blonde hair contently inhaling the sweet scent, "Nobody's making you do anything, but you can't ask us to lie and let you just run away at the end of the month with us. You've got to tell him."

Roxas understood, but he was still very reluctant to tell his father the news, still he nodded, "…I'll tell him tonight. When he gets home from his meeting."

Axel was well aware of how Roxas was feeling and kissed his cheek before saying, "I'll come with you." Grateful to hear that, and even more relieved to know his love wasn't upset with him, Roxas held onto him tightly and briefly kissed his lips before sighing a more than earnest, "Thank you." Roxas smiled and grabbed his hand, tugging him a bit to get him to follow.

"Where are we going?" Axel asked, curious but also very relieved that it looked like serious-time was over.

"It's a surprise, close your eyes and come on," Roxas said with a pleased grin. Axel did as he was told and followed where Roxas led him, hoping very much that he didn't trip and take a face plant on the ground. After a few minutes of this and quite a lot of walking Roxas let go of his hand and said, "Wait here, and no peeking." Axel flashed him a thumbs up and he heard Roxas hurry off, _'I hope he's not going to leave me here,'_ he thought, taking into consideration that this might be a prank…then again this was Roxas and he laughed a bit at the thought.

A few seconds later he heard him come running back and Roxas told him, "Open your mouth."

"Ah! No sex in public Roxy, have some decency," Axel scolded and Roxas laughed and before he could say anything he pushed something cold into his mouth. Axel opened his eyes and brought a hand up to pull it out of his mouth, examining the green colored ice cream on a stick.

"It's sea salt ice cream," Roxas told him, bringing another to his own mouth, "They're the best treat in this world."

Axel was lenient to try anything called sea salt ice cream, it sounded disgusting but he'd try anything once. He put it back in his mouth, savoring the cold treat for a few seconds before admitting, "It's pretty good."

Roxas was glad to hear he liked it and took a few licks from his own ice cream before heading back the way he'd come. Axel looked around the new surroundings though and saw they were by a playground, and the ice cream vendor was minding his cart nearby. When Roxas headed back into the city, Axel headed for the playground.

Roxas heard the clang of metal and looked back only to see Axel climbing up the slide to the rest of the jungle gym. He wasn't surprised, Axel was a big kid at heart and he came back over to the playground to join in. He met Axel after he came sliding down the spiral slide with a grin, "When's the last time you played on a playground?"

The question was unexpected but Roxas smiled, "I was knee high and wearing overalls."

Axel put the ice cream back in his mouth and grabbed Roxas' free hand, gleefully leading him up the stairs to the jungle gym. It was weird at first doing something like this which he hadn't done for many, many, years, but Roxas quickly adjusted when Axel pushed him down the slide. He sat at the bottom for a moment, laughing at the sheer delight he'd just relived. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Axel mastering the monkey bars and having quite a lot of fun.

Quickly he got up off the slide and hurried over to the tire swing, large enough for 4 people to sit on and be pushed around. Axel saw where he was going and jumped down from the monkey bars and beat him there. Roxas got on anyway and Axel pushed him and the tire up through the air. The quick rush alarmed Roxas at first and he held onto one of the chains supporting the tire, adjusting and enjoying the swing quickly though the higher Axel pushed him. When the swing really got going and began to spin, Axel jumped on and surprisingly landed on the tire and with that extra bit of momentum they both went spinning off into another direction.

Roxas squealed and Axel laughed as they spun in spirals, hanging onto the chains to keep from falling off into the blurry world around them. Finally the swing slowed down and they let go, both laughing and dizzy as they tried to get off; Axel stumbling over the woodchips at his feet and almost falling over.

"I've forgotten how fun this is," Roxas said as he began to catch his breath and he looked around the playground as it slowly came back into focus.

"You've got to stop growing up then," Axel said, making very little sense though. Roxas laughed a little and came over to help him get his balance before hugging him with a beaming smile. Hour led to hour and they lost track of time, only realizing the sun was going down when they heard the big clock tower chime 6. Roxas sat at the end of the slide, looking at his watch to see if it had really gotten that late.

Axel came sliding down behind him and hugged him, looking over his shoulder at the watch, "Six already?"

"Must be," Roxas said, wondering where the day had gone, "Guess we'd better get going." He knew now that he had to go home and confront his father, and Axel must have sensed his growing worry because he nuzzled his head against his neck before assuring him, "It'll be okay." Roxas nodded, reminding himself Axel would be there with him. Not a care in the world, experiencing something new every day, living life to the fullest as they jumped from world to world, that's what Roxas wanted. To live life like that with Axel and his circie family.

* * *

Wow I'm so glad I finally got this posted. I've felt so guilty about making you guys wait so long and I promise it won't happen again! So what did you think? Was it worth the wait? I hope so! Now what's going to happen in the next chapter? How will Roxas' dad react to the news? And what about Sora and Riku? Then there's the issue of Roxy's senior project. Hm, hm, hm….I know! But I'm not telling! Hehe, review though please! Happy early valentines day everyone and thank you for continuing to read! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	17. Please, Understand

AH!!! I'm tired. Long day of dance and rehearsals, which ended up overlapping and made a pretty big mess. Anyways, I've been dying to update because the last chapter left off with a few pretty big bits, like Roxy's dad, the whole thing with Riku and Sora, and then there's that Senior project. Grr, those things really are evil you know? I'm a Junior and have to do one because I'm in AP Lit and they're a real pain! Anyways, I won't rant on that because the misery is mine not yours.

Onto other news! I finally got the other contest entries posted on the DA journal, go check them out (through my homepage link) but I cant find the link for Lady's or Kyo's, so you two should send them again because they were awesomely awesome. ALSO! There's a new circie introduced in this chapter! Not much said about this person just yet, but there will be! Hehe, I won't bother you anymore though, you're here for the chapter not me, though a hug and a review would be nice when you're done. Speaking of reviews I'm working on replying to the ones from last chapter now and…OVER 200 REVIEWS?!?! 213?!?!? AHHHH! I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! AWESOMELY AWESOME TO THE EXTREME! I DON'T DESERVE THEM BUT THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! WITHOUT YOU THIS STORY WOULD BE NOTHING AND I PROMISE TO DO MY BEST TO KEEP YOU HAPPY!!! NOT ONLY AM I GOING TO KEEP WRITING, GIVE YOU ALL COUPONS FOR UNLIMITED FREE HUGS, BUT I SHALL ALSO MAKE A SPECIAL BONUS PRESENT! NOT SURE WHAT YET, OR WHY THIS IS STILL IN CAPS LOCK BUT OH WELL! I'M HAPPY!

Ahem, there we go, CAPS off! Much easier to read now, and so I shall say thank you and I love you all one more time before passing you onto the story! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Please, Understand**

Roxas opened the front door and led Axel inside, shutting it behind them and staring at the knob in his hand for a moment. He could feel a pit in his stomach, twisting painfully and he bit his lip uneasily. He had no idea what his father's reaction would be when he told him about what he was going to do. Now he was 18, and didn't really have to obey if his father forbade him from going through with his plan, but he didn't want to hurt him with his decision. His father had taken such good care of him and his brother, even after their mother died and left him to take care of them by himself, how could he tell him he was leaving?

Axel put a hand on his shoulder and Roxas sighed a little, looking back at him with clear worry in his expression. How was he going to explain Axel? He loved him and he wouldn't deny that, and he could easily say nothing about their relationship…but he knew he'd ask why Roxas chose to do this, and he'd have to tell him. If he was just in love it wouldn't be that bad but there was a problem, which Axel had learned about on the way home; his father was highly homophobic.

Roxas took Axel's hand and looked down at the ground, taking a deep breath before heading off to find his father. The house was large and the longer it took to find him the more uneasy Roxas became, till finally Axel had to lead the way and Roxas followed behind him. They finally found him upstairs in the library, lounging in a chair with a book in hand.

Ashton Eliot looked up when he heard the door open and smiled at them, "Good evening boys," he said welcomingly, standing to greet them. Axel faked a smile but Roxas couldn't and he felt his words freeze in his throat and his feet to the ground. "I trust the project is going well?" his father asked, assuming that was what they'd been doing all day.

"Ofcourse," Axel lied, remaining composed because he knew Roxas was very uneasy and needed some sign of support.

"Wonderful!" declared his father, coming over with open arms to hug Roxas. Roxas couldn't bring himself to return the embrace, though it seemed to loosen the words caught in his chest, "…Dad I need to tell you something."

His father let go and looked at him with a smile, "Anything, go ahead."

Roxas took a breath then looked to Axel for a moment before back to the floor, "At the end of the month…when the circies leave I think I'll…I'm going with them." There he'd said it, he'd said it and there was no taking it back now.

His father was silent for a moment, trying to digest what he'd just been told, "Well you're old enough to make your own decisions now but…Roxas why are you doing this?"

That was it. That was the question he feared more that telling him he was leaving and he wished he'd never said anything at all, "Because I'm in love…" he'd said it, the knot in his stomach tightening painfully and he almost took Axel's hand for support, but he held his temptations in.

That shocked his father and he quickly asked, "With Kairi?" He assumed as much since he'd been spending quite a lot of time with her all year.

Roxas was tempted to say yes just so he could leave quickly, but he wouldn't deny his love for Axel and he opened his mouth to say something but the knot inside of him was too tight and he couldn't speak. Axel saw this and while he'd been trying to stay out of the way, he wasn't going to let Roxas undergo this suffering any longer. He reached over and took his hand, immediately relieving a great deal of tension within him and Roxas sighed his answer, "…With Axel."

He couldn't look up, he couldn't face his father because he could already feel the reprimanding, speechless gaze piercing through him and it hurt. Roxas wanted to turn and leave but he stayed, Axel still holding his hand though it was helping little now. Unlike Roxas, Axel stood firm, his eyes locked on the ambassador's, whose were staring down his son.

He was speechless and looked utterly repulsed by what had just been said, taking a few steps back before turning and walking back over to the window, one hand over his face. Roxas heard him walk away and glanced up to watch him go, feeling horrible for the sheer disgust he'd caused and he couldn't believe this, "…Dad…" but he said nothing and Roxas felt even worse. 18 years of their relationship had just been obliterated and there was nothing he could do.

Roxas didn't notice he was crying until he felt Axel's hand on his cheek, wiping away the tears. "Dad…" Roxas repeated, this time he got a reply but it wasn't the words of understanding he wanted to hear.

"Roxas…Just leave."

Roxas broke at the words and Axel quickly gathered him in his arms, trying to calm his tears and his own anger. "How can you do this?" Axel spat over at the ambassador, his temper flaring sharply and he couldn't control it, "He's your son damn it! He loves you and you're going to brush him off just because of me?!"

His yelling alarmed Roxas and he tried to hush him but Axel refused to be silent, "Sorry jerk! He could have run off without telling you anything, but he didn't want to hurt you! Get that through your head!" The ambassador still said nothing, nor did he turn to face them, so Axel continued, "You can't do this to him! Regardless of how, you should be glad he's going to be happy!"

The ambassador finally looked back to them and Roxas quickly looked away, Axel tightening his hold on him but when he said nothing Axel shook his head, "Bastard," was all he said before leading Roxas out of the room. Roxas only looked back once, met by the hurt gaze of his father and he quickly looked away again.

Axel led him down the hall to his room and inside, where he immediately collapsed onto the bed and Axel hurried down to comfort him, putting a hand on his back as he heard Roxas quietly crying into his pillow. "Roxy…" Axel said, his temper gone and tone full of concern now, "I'm sorry."

Roxas heard his apology but didn't want it. Axel didn't have anything to be sorry for and he wasn't the one to blame. Roxas didn't know who to blame, and he couldn't contain his pain, "I…I don't understand," he managed to say through a sob. Axel took his hand and squeezed it for support, letting him shed his tears. He'd thought that Roxas would be the only one of the circies to leave with a happy home life, but he was clearly wrong and didn't know what to do for him. Roxas didn't know what to do either. Somehow in those short minutes his father had completely abandoned him and their entire life together, and he couldn't understand, "W-what am I going to do…" he asked, repeating it several more times as he clenched Axel's hand tightly and sobbed.

"There's only one thing you can do," Axel told him, being completely honest and Roxas listened acceptingly when he said, "Come with us."

Roxas stopped crying. That really was all he could do. That's what he wanted though, that's what he'd been waiting for all year and now that he had it in his grip he had to hold onto it. He sat up, wiping away the dampness on his cheeks and looking up at Axel with a small smile, "You and me. Together."

Axel smiled, leaning down and leaving a light kiss on his lips before saying, "Forever and for always." Roxas smiled more then laughed a little, leaning up to hug him tightly. That's what he wanted to hear; he had Axel, and always would, "Then I'll always be happy." When he heard it Axel couldn't help but feel his smile fade a little. Roxas had so much in life…and he was giving that all up for him. If this wasn't love, Axel didn't know what was.

Roxas quickly abandoned his sadness, knowing there was nothing he could do to change it and he started to pack his belongings, not planning on coming back for them later. Axel helped, making sure to keep his spirits light and high the entire time and finally when he was all packed and the room was only left with a few things he was leaving behind, Axel left to call a cab while Roxas finished taping off the boxes.

Sealing the last one shut almost felt like sealing a book. His home life was over as well as the story, and would be followed by a sequel of his new life with the circies and Axel. He couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of his future. A year ago he wouldn't have imagined he'd be doing this. His thoughts vanished when he felt he was being watched and he looked up only to see his father standing in the hall staring at him. Roxas didn't look to the floor this time, but he couldn't face him for too long and ended up retaping a box to pretend he didn't care.

He heard his father come in and he held his breath, wishing Axel was here but he wasn't and so he had to fend for himself now. "Roxas…Is this really what you want?" he heard him ask and Roxas nodded firmly, knowing it was true. There were a few seconds of silence before his father said, "…Then I'm happy for you."

Roxas looked up when he heard the sincere tone and even though he could tell his father was still uneasy he was really happy for him. This time when he hugged him though, Roxas returned the hug tightly. Hearing that meant the world to him and knowing his father approved was all he needed to fully enjoy the future ahead.

He noticed Axel come in and freeze when he saw them embraced, though he smiled a little when he realized what was going on. The ambassador noticed him too and said, "Take care of him." Axel nodded and Roxas smiled over at him, knowing Axel too felt better knowing they had his approval.

* * *

The cab took the two of them, and Roxas' belongings across town to where the circus train was docked. Even though his father had told him he could leave his things home for the rest of the month and come get them later, Roxas declined, wanting to get his new life started as quickly as possible.

"Packed pretty lightly Roxy," Axel said after they'd carried in the boxes and put them down in his room. Seeing as they couldn't just add another room right now, Roxas would have to share with him, and he didn't mind one bit.

"Well there's not much I actually need," Roxas told him. Some clothes, his notebooks, and a few keepsakes were all he'd brought, "And I'm taking these text books back on Monday."

That reminded Axel of the issue earlier, surprisingly forgetting about it as the day had progressed, "Oh that's right, Monday is the last day of school right?"

"For Seniors, yeah, the rest of the school has to go for another week," Roxas told him, "And so will I if I don't get this project done," he added, opening one of the boxes and digging through until he found his Senior Project manual.

"Why'd you bring a bible?" Axel asked, confused when he saw the book.

Roxas couldn't help but laugh. The manual was pretty big and leave it to Axel to mistake it for a bible. He showed him the cover and Axel 'ahh'ed with understanding before asking, "So what's first?"

"Project proposal, then mentor consent," Roxas said, paging through to the pages with the documents on them.

"Mentor?" Axel asked, "You mean like a teacher?"

"Someone very familiar with the field the project falls under, who supervises what I do and helps me do it better," Roxas explained after skimming over the mentor consent form to better understand it.

"And your field is entertainment so any one of us could be your mentor," Axel said thoughtfully, and while he would liked to have been the mentor he knew he wasn't entirely familiar with Roxas' choice field, "Your best bet would be Riku."

Roxas agreed. Vocals and song writing were his profession and Roxas' project, "Think he'll say yes?"

"Ofcourse!" Axel assured him, heading out of his room to go ask for him while Roxas unpacked and finished the project proposal. Riku was usually easy to find, he was either in the common car or on the roof, however it was late now and that also added in the possibility that he was out with a girl.

The common car was empty save for Luxord and Zexion, the newest addition to the circus family. They'd picked him up a few months after they left Twilight Town, while they were in China. He'd been a servant the leader of the Huns, a man named Shan-yu, and obviously was being kept against his will. The circies met him during a show and during their encounter they learned much about him, including that he was a psychic. Now they were all doubtful of his word, but he proved it when he predicted Demyx would fall during rehearsal three days later and land on a cat…Three days later Demyx fell during rehearsal and landed on one of Kairi's large cats. So on their last day in China the circies all went and freed him from Shan-yu, and invited him along. They all quickly took to him, and he'd become the fortune teller of the circus, drawing quite a lot of response from all audiences.

"Looking for something?" Luxord asked, watching him search the room quickly.

Axel finished his search and asked, "Yeah, either of you guys seen Riku?"

"He's in his room," Zexion said with a smile. All-in-all he was a very polite man, 24 years old and very small and young looking for his age.

"You can tell where people are too?" Axel asked, impressed by his talents.

Zexion shook his head, "No, I just heard him come in and slam his door and he hasn't come out since." Axel laughed and thanked him before heading back down the hall. He didn't bother knocking, because he knew if he did it would give Riku enough time to hide whatever was wrong. He never just came home and slammed the door, only to spend the rest of his day held up in his room. What he saw was surprising and made him worry. Riku was sound asleep on his stomach, hugging the pillow to his head, still fully dressed.

Now Axel had reason to worry, never was he in bed before 11 at the earliest, and it was obvious he'd spent all day like this since nothing in the room was disturbed. He wasn't going to let him sleep though, he wanted to know what was wrong so he could fix it, so Axel came over and sat on the bed beside of him, "Hey…" he said, nudging him a bit but it didn't wake him up so he did the next best thing and put a hand on the back of his head and pushed his face into the pillow. After a few seconds Riku grabbed his wrist and pushed him off, rolling his head over to see what he wanted. There was another bad sign, Axel wasn't getting glared at for waking him up, instead he looked tired and zoned out, "Will you be Roxy's mentor for his Senior project?" he asked and Riku merely nodded, not asking anything about it before agreeing. Axel didn't like that and he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Riku said shortly and Axel pushed his face back into the pillow.

"Nothing?" Axel questioned, waiting for him to push his hand off again and get mad, but it didn't happed and he took his hand off, "Something." Riku didn't say anything, though he did roll over away from him. Axel retraced the last time he'd seen Riku that day; it was when he'd left for the college with the medication for Sora, and he'd been fine then, "Something happen at the college?"

Again there was no answer though it was an obvious 'yes' when Riku sat up and got out of bed, pulling the packet of cigarettes out and taking one. Axel reached over and lit it for him before taking one for himself and lighting it, "Well?"

Riku took a drag of the peppermint smoke, obviously debating on what to say, "…You know it really sucks when you try to help someone and only make things worse! And then you try to make up for making things worse and only make them worse!"

Axel wasn't that surprised by the outburst, in fact he smirked a little, "More problems with Jack?" he asked, referring to Sora.

"What the hell did I do? I mean sure I took his girlfriend but that was 4 years ago and I thought he was over it by now, and he says he is but that's the only thing that could make him act like this right?" Riku was obviously on a rant now and he drummed his fingers on the wall in no particular rhythm.

"Did you do anything to him last year before we left?" Axel asked, getting up and going over to the window to tap out the end of his cigarette.

"No! All I did was clear up the rumors he'd been told about us! And last night he said it was my fault he's such a mess," Riku explained.

Axel was bothered by that and asked, "Why?"

"How should I know? All he said was I made him second guess all the plans he had, and then like 10 seconds later he was crying and saying it wasn't my fault, then he wanted me to stay the night, and I told him to stay home and get better today but he went to class anyway and I went to take him home but then…Arg! Things are so screwed up!" Riku snarled.

Axel listened to his rant, watching the smoke trailing from the end of the cigarette, "For the both of you it sounds like." Riku wanted advice, not the obvious though and Axel sighed before turning around and sitting on the large windowsill, "And what happened at the school?"

"I don't know... I was flirting with the headmistress then on our way out Sora said she was married and we talked for a while and everything seemed fine but then he got all pissy and snappy when I asked why he worked so hard," Riku continued, summing things up quickly, but apparently Axel knew there was more and was waiting for it because after a few moments of silence he added in the last part, "Then he said he didn't even want to know me, and that he'd be better off that way."

Axel digested this all for a few seconds, asking, "Then you walked off, came back here and went to bed?" Riku nodded and Axel shook his head with a sigh, "We've known each other for 7 years now right? So will you listen to what I think without getting pissed off?"

Riku didn't like hearing that, but he nodded and Axel sighed before saying, "Well if you're taking this so seriously maybe you _want_ him to want to know you." There was a long silence and Axel broke it when he incinerated the rest of his cigarette and stood up saying, "I'm just saying, that's all. You did spend quite a lot of time with him last year and I don't think it's because you wanted to make up for taking Kairi."

Riku still said nothing, and Axel headed for the door, "Don't think too hard about it, in a month you won't have to think about him ever again."

"Yeah…" Riku agreed, even if he was heavily bothered by it right now.

"I've got a question though," Axel asked and Riku looked up when he asked, "Why are you trying so hard?" There was no answer and Axel smiled a little and came over to hug him, "Never mind, just get some sleep and forget about it." Riku nodded, but the question still bothered him…why was he trying so hard?

For hours he sat up asking himself that, but he couldn't come up with an answer and he resorted to writing, trying to figure things out that way. Whatever came to him, whatever line ran through his head he wrote down, until he drew a blank and could think of nothing more. With a heavy sigh he looked over what he'd written, hopping to gain some sense from it:

_Your subtleties_

_They strangle me_

_I can't explain myself at all._

_And all the wants_

_And all the needs_

_All I don't want to need at all._

_The walls start breathing_

_My mind's unweaving_

_Maybe it's best you leave me alone._

When he saw what he'd written he threw the notebook across the room, nothing made sense, not on paper, not in his head and with a frustrated sigh he changed out of his clothes and into a pair of gray and black stripe sleep pants that were obviously a couple sizes too long for him, then got back in bed and pulled the covers up over his head. '_What a mess,'_ he kept thinking.

Just as he was falling asleep Riku was brought back to his senses with a knocking at the door. He assumed it was Roxas, Kairi, or Zexion, since they were the only ones with enough courtesy to knock when he obviously wasn't in a mood to be messed with. After a short glace at the clock on his nightstand, reading 10:55 he grumbled a short swear on whoever was keeping him awake then got up and pulled on a black t-shirt lying on the floor with a harlequin mask painted over the right shoulder. There was another knock and Riku said, "Hang on, I'm coming," clearly he wasn't happy about getting up and when he came over and opened the door his mood lightened a little.

Sora was standing there, though it looked like he'd been starting to leave when he heard Riku's snappy tone. It was obvious he couldn't now and he looked uneasy, "Sorry…Did I wake you up?"

'_Ofcourse not jerk, because of you I can't sleep,'_ he thought but just shook his head instead of saying that. It was late and after what happened earlier he had even more reason to ask, "What are you doing here?"

Sora didn't answer right away and he shifted weight from one foot to the other as he said, "…About earlier…" he began but didn't get to finish because Riku stepped back into the room and shut the door, making it clear he didn't want to hear it. He leaned back against the door and realized what he'd just done, not regretting it though; he wasn't going to put up with any more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moments from him.

Sora stood on the other side, staring at the door with quiet unease, feeling horrible and not sure what he could do. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to make things okay again…even if they'd never really been 'okay' to begin with. "…Are you still there?" he asked, sounding quite desperate for an answer.

"No."

When he heard it he knew otherwise and reached to open the door, but just as he was about to take hold of the doorknob he heard the lock on it click, making it clear he wasn't welcome inside. Sora felt even worse and he withdrew his hand, looking at the door a moment longer before turning to leave. He didn't move though, he couldn't, something wouldn't let him and he turned back to the door and slowly said, "…I'm sorry."

Riku heard him but didn't say anything. Sorry? Anyone could be sorry, Sora had said he was many times and this time didn't make things any different. He listened on though, taking in what was being said with quiet observance.

"I didn't mean to say what I did…Don't be mad…If you are I'll understand, you have every right to be…I'm just…confused…Everything is so confusing and I don't know what else to do…I didn't mean to take it out on you."

He listened but still said nothing, staring at the floor unblinkingly and waiting for more but it was silent and he wondered if Sora had left. He got his answer when he heard a shaky sigh as he tried to compose himself, followed by saying, "…I'm sorry Riku…And…I'm glad I got to meet you." It wasn't until he heard Sora turn and start to leave that Riku finally stood back up and opened the door. Sora looked back over his shoulder to the door when he heard it open, seeing Riku standing there without a smile on his face and after a few seconds Sora turned back around and lunged out to hug him. Riku said nothing but he sighed heavily and put a hand on the back of Sora's head as he hid it against his chest, "You're driving me insane."

Sora smiled a little and looked up at him, "Aren't you already insane?"

Riku finally cracked a smiled and flicked him on the nose, "Brat." Sora laughed a little and hugged him tighter, feeling better when Riku returned the hug. Right then and there he vowed: he'd live his life. No more pushing and shoving himself to reach wild and inhuman lengths. When he did he always ended up being something he didn't want to be, and hurting people he didn't want to hurt. No more, "Help me."

Riku was genuinely confused by his question though and asked, "Help you what?"

"Be me," Sora said and Riku smiled, saying without hesitation, "Gladly." There was a bit of a silence and Sora finally broke it with a simple statement, "I need a drink." Riku laughed and pushed him off before heading for the door leading outside.

Sora watched him go and curiously followed, "Where are you going?"

"You wanted a drink right? Come on, lets go," Riku said, obviously not planning to stay in and drink; especially since he'd spent most of his day in bed.

Sora looked at him oddly and asked, "Shouldn't you get dressed?"

Riku looked at what he was wearing, then back to Sora, not sure what he meant. He was very comfortable in his pajama pants and harlequin shirt. Sora caught onto this and sighed before saying, "Wait here," and with that he went back into his room and shut the door. After a few minutes he came back out and Riku laughed when he saw him wearing another set of his pajama pants with little blue and yellow patches all over and the white button up shirt he'd worn here. "You look ridiculous," Riku told him and it was true, Sora looked horribly out of place in the pants, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, well I don't care," Sora said as he tied the string holding the pants up.

* * *

In only a matter of hours Sora was horribly intoxicated, and while Riku had drunk an equal amount his alcohol tolerance was much higher than Sora's. "I think it's time we got you home," Riku said though he couldn't help but grin a little as he led him out of the bar.

"Me too," Sora sighed shakily. Riku looked at his watch and saw it was already past 1 and asked, "Your dad will be in bed by now right?"

"Does it matter?" Sora asked him before saying, "I'm staying with you anyways."

Riku laughed a bit and Sora started to fall over but he caught him under the arm and helped steady his steps, "Oh? When did you decide this?"

"Before I got drunk so don't say this is a confuzzling rambling," Sora said with a few almost bubbly laughs.

"And what about school?"

"What about it?"

Now when Riku heard this he was genuinely worried and it showed, "College. All your classes?"

"I'm taking the month off," he said firmly and Riku smirked a bit, wondering how long he could keep that up. Oh well, he didn't mind, "You're sleeping on the floor."

"Nu!" Sora shook his head quickly and insisted, "You've got a big bed. You'll share." Yet another thing Riku was sure would change as soon as Sora sobered up and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was going to be an interesting month, that much was for sure, that and also that Sora would feel miserable in the morning.

Still, despite knowing this he brought him back to the train and as soon as they made it back to the room Sora went straight to the bed and flopped down on it, sighing tiredly. Riku smirked a little before going over to his desk and pulled open a drawer and took out two cotton balls, a peppermint cigarette, and a bottle of Benydrill. Sora watched him before reaching over and patting the bed space beside him. Riku grabbed another pillow off the loveseat at the foot of the bed and lied down next to him.

"So do you forgive me?" Sora asked groggily.

Just to pick fun at him, Riku smirked and said, "Nope." What he hadn't expected though, was to see the horribly hurt look on Sora's face and he seemed to sober up drastically. "Hey, I'm just kidding," Riku assured him and Sora smiled a little, semi-embarrassed and it showed.

Riku laughed a little and started to go to sleep, though he felt the bed shift as Sora scooted closer. When he opened his eyes Sora froze and quickly pretended to be sleeping and Riku smiled a little before reaching over and pulling him closer, "Brat," he said, noticing Sora's smile as he snuggled against him comfortably. Yet another occurrence Riku was sure Sora wouldn't remember or agree with in the morning, so he'd just have to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

Hm, hm, hm…oh sorry, was spacing out there for a while XD pondering the next chapter and liking my ponderings. So what did you think? Little angst but not too bad, and it looks like things are getting patched up. I should probably write something witty here but I'm drawing a bit of a blank since I'm so drained. Like I said, it's been a long day and this week is going to be a mess because I have a HUGE AP Lit essay due on Wednesday and one of the shows I'm doing is opening on Thursday so don't expect an update until Saturday or Sunday night. The thoughts are there, it's just finding the time to type and tweak that's a pain. Anyways! Tell me what you thought of this chapter! I love each and every review and they help me write! As always, I leave you with wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	18. Past, Present, and a Future

RAWR!!! Okay, I am so mad at myself! This chapter took forever! Not cool! I mean sure rehearsals have been runing later and one of our shows is finally over (so now I'm only doing 2! Woo!) but I really feel like I should apologize for the time this took. It took some thought too because the part at the end...rawr, lets just say that went in and out of this chapter many times (referring to **the part in _italics_**) because I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave it to your imagination or spell out how I saw it happening. Right, should probably warn you now **it's not plesant **(you have no idea how many times I misspell 'plesant' probably just did too) You have been warned. Don't like, don't say I never warned you.

You know what else? I thought for sure I'd have this story done by chapter 17 XD guess I was wrong! There's still much more to come (possibly less depending on how much I edit...hah, nevermind, my editing skills are limited) so read and be merry! Again, I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter, and once again I'm behind on last chapters reviews. A million apologies! You wouldn't believe how little time I've had at home over the past week, it's insane and it's been snowing so my mood is all BLEH because none of the snow is sticking and it's just making icky slushy mess. Great, now I'm complaining, somebody stop me. In short: I love them all and love you all for them and I will reply to them as soon as possible.

That's all I have to say for now other than the song in this is called "It's Possible (McElligot's Pool)" from Seussical...Yeah, I'm in Seuss mode XD **IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM DO I OWN THIS SONG JOJO, HORTON THE ELEPHANT, OR ANY OTHER OF THE SEUSSICAL CHARACTERS**

**AND** **in the last chapter:** Remember what Riku wrote in the notebook? Yeah, that was from the The All-American Rejects, and it's a bit from a song of theirs called "It Ends Tonight" and **IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM DO I OWN THIS SONG EITHER.**

Rightio! That said I now present to you chapter 17! Enjoy!

**

* * *

****Chapter 17**

**Past, Present, and a Future**

Roxas was the first to wake Saturday morning, his internal alarm clock actually on track unlike the circies who were still living off the time in Tortuga. He yawned and sat up groggily, looking around the room dimly lit by the rising sun outside. When he realized he was in Axel's room he couldn't help but smile and he looked down at the redhead sleeping in bed beside him.

Kissing his cheek lightly, Roxas got out of bed and left the room to get ready for the day. He knew today was going to be a big mess with their first show tomorrow and his own Senior project due Monday. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing still, and would rely mostly on whatever Riku could help him with. Probably just strengthening his vocals, tweaking lyrics, and performance skills. It would be easy enough.

By the time some of the other circies were waking up he'd already showered, dressed, and eaten. Kairi was up first, followed by Larxene, Zexion, and Demyx. They played a short game of rock, paper, scissors to find out who had to wake the others so they could start the much required day of rehearsal. Roxas drew the losing hand of rock and unhappily headed off to take care of the task. Reactions were similar for each room; cranky circies, grumbling, etc. He was almost done but when he opened Riku's door he wasn't sure what to do.

Axel had just come out of his room and saw him at the front of the hall, "What's up?" he asked, wondering what he was staring at so skeptically.

"Um…" Roxas said, obviously not sure what to say and Axel came down the hall to see what was wrong, "Oh…" was all he could say when he saw Riku and Sora sleeping in the same bed, unusually close.

"…Should we…um," Roxas really had no idea what to do. He hadn't seen his brother in quite some time and the last place he expected to see him again was in bed with Riku.

Axel however wanted an explanation and came in and pulled the covers down, "Wakie wakie!" he said, feeling better when he saw them both dressed but not expecting to see Sora in Riku's sleep pants.

"What the hell?" spat Riku, grabbing his pillow and pulling it over his head to block out the light. Sora however looked shocked and sat up quickly, feeling ill from the impending hangover and by what Axel and his brother must be thinking.

"What the hell yourself," Axel said, looking over them for an explanation. Now it may not have been any of his business but after the way Riku had been last night the last thing he expected to see in the morning was this.

Riku was not in a good mood though after being so rudely awoken, "Sora Axel, Axel Sora," he said, waving a hand to introduce them casually, "Morning Roxy. Thank you for not yelling."

Roxas smiled a little but was still uneasy and looked to his brother for some explanation. "He's staying with us for a while," Riku explained, his voice somewhat muffled by the pillow over his head and the groggy tone in his voice.

Axel tossed the covers back onto the bed, "Really now? Well welcome to the family… didn't know you'd turned gay on us Riku." Axel taunted and Riku sat up, throwing the nearest object at him which turned out to be his cell phone and it hit Axel square in the head. Axel rubbed his forehead with a bit of a laugh, "Kidding! Kidding!" he said before tossing the phone back to a very cranky and tired Ringmaster.

"Time to get up though. Gotta rehearse for tomorrow and Roxy needs help with his project still," Axel told him before heading for the door and leading Roxas with him. Roxas however was still surprised by what he'd seen and looked back before shutting the door behind them.

"So what's Roxas doing here?" Sora asked after getting out of bed and going over to make a cure for his hangover.

"He's a circie now," Riku told him, not bothering to get up. He felt fine actually and planned to get as much sleep as possible even if it were only for a few minutes.

Sora was very shocked to hear that and quickly asked, "Since when?!"

"He's 18 now, he can do what he wants, and he wants to come with us. Roxy's a good kid, we're glad to have him," Riku summed things up for him, "What? He never told you?"

Sora said nothing; it had been ages since he'd seen his brother or his father thanks to his busy schedule and he felt bad for not knowing something this big. Riku finally sat up and got out of bed, "You've got a month still, better catch up with him while you can," he said and Sora nodded in agreement before popping the cotton ball into his mouth. They got dressed and since Sora had no clothes of his own to change into he had to wear Riku's, which fit well but were a little long in the legs and arms.

By the time they arrived in the common car everyone was up and dressed save for Lexaeus and Vexen, who were always absent. Over their year of travel the common car had changed noticeably. There were tons of new collections of pictures from shows in other worlds, and the ones from Twilight Town last year were up too. Since they'd run out of space on the ceiling long ago though the collections were now lining the upper section of the walls. There was also a long table near the bar and it looked like the room had grown in size; possibly another bit of enchantment magic since there was no way all of this would fit into one car. Zexion and Marluxia were at the table, talking quietly between themselves, while Demyx lie sprawled out under the table as he tried to hide and steal a few more moments of sleep, baby Kadaj was sitting on his back playing with his hair. Larxene was sitting at the bar with Xigbar, though neither one of them were drinking. Kairi and Luxord were in the kitchen trying to make breakfast for lunch; none of the circies were gifted when it came to cooking, though in their years of 'normal' life at Twilight Town Luxord and Kairi had some knowledge, Kairi more now. Roxas and Axel were sitting on the round couch around the circular fireplace, talking and laughing between themselves.

Larxene was the first to notice Sora and she sat up, looking him over and scoffing a bit, "Who's the shrimp?" The other circies looked over from whatever they were doing, except for Demyx who slept on.

"This is Sora, he's going to be staying with us for a while," Riku told them. Now only Luxord, Kairi, and Roxas knew him and they were all very shocked to hear this.

"Are you sick?" Luxord asked, leaning over the counter between the kitchen and the rest of the room to get a better look at him.

Sora nodded but still said nothing, unsure of how to answer; in a way, he was sick but not with a cold or a virus. Luxord looked at him oddly for a moment, wondering why he was so quiet. From what he remembered it was hard to get him to be quiet and he glanced at Riku for explanation. Before anything else could be said Sora turned and walked out, back down the hall and disappearing into Riku's room.

Kairi was semi-aware of the problem. She'd spent time with him during her year off and while he seemed fine it was obvious something was wrong. To help break the scene she pulled Luxord back off the counter and put him back to work.

"Alright, Roxas you've got a project to do right?" Axel asked, breaking the topic of clear tension.

Roxas nodded and Riku came over to the couch, "So what are you doing?" There was a long silence, followed by an 'um' and Riku laughed a bit, "Right, enough said." Roxas smiled sheepishly and Riku came over the back of the couch and sat down beside him, "If I'm your mentor you may as well put your vocals to the test."

"I've been writing a lot while—" Roxas started to say but then he noticed a glint in Riku's eyes and knew that meant he had an idea, "Run opening night with me." Roxas looked shocked beyond shocked to hear that though, "What?!"

"Vocals are your forte Roxy; use them for your project. And projects should be big right? You and me can run the show," Riku said, clearly liking the sound of this.

"You and _I_," Zexion corrected his grammar.

"Shush you," Larxene said, hurrying over to the couch and equally delighted by the idea, "It'll be fun! You guys can duo up! The audience will love it!"

Roxas looked from her back to Riku, "I-I can't do that," he stuttered. He was good but not that good, and while he enjoyed performing in front of an audience he knew he couldn't hold it through the whole show.

"Yes you can," Axel even joined in on this, "C'mon Roxy!"

"Hey, if you're going to be a circie you've got to perform," Riku told him with a grin, "And until we find your spotlight for the show you'll sing."

Roxas knew this too. Each circie had their own spotlight; Kairi was the beast master, Luxord had his card tricks, Xigbar had his marksmanship, Demyx and Larxene functioned as one on the trapeze, Axel had his fire, and Riku had his vocals. He wondered what his talent would be, but knew Riku was right; for now they'd share the vocals. "Okay, I'll do it," Roxas agreed with a smile; and while he may have been uneasy he was also thrilled at the opportunity before him.

* * *

Riku was quick to put him to work. After breakfast all the circies, along with Sora and Kadaj, went over to the big top and started prepping for tomorrow nights show. "Alright, shoot," Riku told him, sitting down on the floor and watching Roxas. 

Roxas looked at him in minor confusion, not entirely sure what he meant and Riku noticed, "Sing something."

"Like what?" Roxas asked.

"Something brand new, improv it," Riku told him. Whatever the reason, for the first time in a while Roxas froze up and had no idea what to do. Riku smiled though and stood up, "Relax, I'm not grading you on this."

Roxas smiled sheepishly and nodded, "I know, I know…I just can't think of anything for some reason."

Riku shook his head and smirked a bit, "Don't think," he said and Roxas was confused and he followed Riku over to the piano. He sat down on the bench and opened the cover for the keys, shutting the book of sheet music for all their shows and putting his fingers on the keys, "Try not to think Roxy," he said before starting to play a simple tune with a grin. Roxas listened to the first chord but was still stuck and Riku started for him:

"_Try not to think._

_Try to behave._

_Try not to think._

_I'll think of taking a bath,_

_In a drippy old tub,_

_Going plink, plink, plink._

_But when I think,_

_Of that plinkity plink,_

_I see fish swimming by in a school._

_Hey maybe this tub is…"_

The melody stopped and Roxas he realized Riku's silence meant he was waiting for his input, so he said the first think that came to mind, "_McElligot's pool!" _How he came up with that he wasn't sure. The song had rhymed and it stuck with him, but Riku nodded and encouraged him to continue. Roxas was stuck again though and he shook his head. It was odd, this was the first time in a while he's frozen up. Riku encouraged him more by saying more, hoping to spark some ideas:

"_This might be a pool, _

_Like I've read of in books, _

_Connected to one of those underground brooks! _

_An underground river, _

_That starts here and flows, _

_Right under this bathtub! _

_And then- _

_Who knows!"_

Riku looked over at Roxas and could see he was feeling much better and with a final note Roxas was ready:

"_It's possible! _

_Anything's possible!"_

Roxas sat down next to him and sang on as he kept playing the same tune,

"_It might go along, _

_Down where no one can see. _

_Right under state highway, _

_Two hundred and three! _

_Right under the wagons! _

_Right under the toes _

_Of Mrs. Umbroso! ... _

_Who's hanging out clothes!"_

Roxas was literally beaming. He'd never improved with any of the circies before and it had always looked so difficult, though now he felt very good about it and couldn't keep from smiling. Riku blamed his nerves for the freeze earlier, glad to see that little block was overcome he sang:

"_It's possible! _

_Anything's possible!"_

Roxas repeated after him then kept going, but much to his surprise Riku sang along with him, even if it was all improved right in his head:

_This might be a river,_

_Now mightn't it be, _

_Connecting McElligot's Pool with the sea!_

_Then maybe some fish might be swimming... _

_Swimming toward me! _

_Oh, the sea is so full,_

_Of a number of fish. _

_If a fellow is patient,_

_He might get his wish! _

_And that's why I think,_

_That I'm not such a fool, _

_When I sit here and fish_

_In McElligot's pool! _

The tune ceased and Riku closed by saying, "It's possible, anything's possible."

"How did you—" but Roxas didn't finish his question before Riku finished it, "Know what you were going to sing? Well Roxy you get pretty good at reading your partners in improv, don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Outside of improv though it's a real pain."

Roxas smiled and sat down on the piano bench, "Thanks Riku."

Riku nodded and patted him on the head, "Ready to get to work now?"

"Yup!" Roxas declared, getting up to his feet and eager to get started. Hours passed and Roxas learned just how much work they put into a show. Watching them work was one thing but taking part in it was a true feat. Each circie was responsible for their own choreography, but in this shows case Riku was making it for both himself and Roxas. It was a good thing he'd spent their year of absence practicing and toning up because if he hadn't he wouldn't have been able to keep up. There had to be a different routine for the opening, the closing, and intermission as well as snippets between acts. Whoever thought his job was easy was sadly mistaken.

After 3 hours Roxas was worn out physically and vocally and Riku told him to take a break. It took quite some time to build up the stamina of a circie and they weren't going to push him into it too fast. Roxas returned from the back room of the big top with two bottles of water, handing one to Riku before sitting down next to him. "So, thought about your own act yet?" Riku asked him as soon as he sat down.

Roxas shook his head after taking a drink, "No…is that bad?"

Riku laughed, "Not at all. You know Demyx didn't realize he belonged on the trapeze until Larxene joined up a year after him?"

That surprised Roxas and he hoped it didn't take him a year to find where he belonged, "What should I do?"

"That's up to you to answer Roxy," Riku told him as he took out his packet of cigarettes and pulled out one for himself before offering one to Roxas who shook his head and Riku put them away, "I forgot you don't smoke. These are good for you though," he said before searching his pockets for his lighter.

"Sorry, I guess to me they're like Christmas cards, it's the thought that counts," Roxas said and Riku couldn't help but laugh. He stood up and searched his back pockets for his lighter but still couldn't find it and mumbled a swear under his breath, patting down his shirt pockets but still not finding it. Roxas wasn't sure why he seemed so bothered by the fact he couldn't find it but didn't question when he headed for the bleachers. Sora had been idly sitting in the stands, watching the rehearsal quietly for he wasn't sure what else to do. He was captivated in watching Demyx and Larxene fly through the air and didn't notice Riku until he'd come up the stair and was standing beside him.

"What's in your pants?" he asked shortly and Sora looked at him in a combination of shock and confusion, "…Excuse me?"

"You're excused," Riku said, not taking his question the same as Sora had but he clarified with, "Pockets."

Sora understood and stood up and searched through the pockets of his pants, which proved to be quite a task since there were a grand total of 12, some doubled inside another pocket. Riku held out his hand and Sora handed him several objects including dice, the two cards he kept on him at all times and that he tucked into his top hat on show nights, folded up papers with scribbles on them, candy wrappers, an empty packet of cigarettes, and finally his lighter. By the time he got everything out he felt noticeably lighter and couldn't figure out how he was able to fit so much into his pockets.

Riku took the lighter and flicked it open to light his cigarette before tucking it into his pocket along with the rest of what had been in the other pockets of Sora's pants, "You don't have to sit up here you know."

"I know," Sora said shortly.

"We won't bite," Riku told him though reconsidered it, "…Well, Larxene and I might but only if you give us reason to." Sora laughed a little, not taking him seriously or saying anything for that matter.

"Go talk to your brother."

Sora shook his head though at the suggestion, "Please. It's hard enough sitting here after this morning."

"What, you think he cares? It's been 5 months right? How he sees you again isn't as significant as the fact that he's seeing you again," Riku told him and for a moment Sora took him seriously, "Besides, while I'm sure your sexuality is even more questionable now, I'm on a straight track," and with that Sora disregarded the serious statement and scowled at him before pushing past and heading for the floor. Riku watched him go before sighing shakily and sitting down, clutching the lighter tightly in the hand in his pocket. He wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt very uneasy.

Roxas was lying on the floor watching Axel do his tricks, and when he saw Roxas was watching he smiled and with his fingers drew a heart out of thin strands of fire in midair. Roxas smiled and made a heart shape with his hands before Axel went back to practicing. He turned his attention to his approaching brother and sat up to greet him, "I remember you."

Sora smiled a little, "Yeah, long time no see huh?"

Roxas nodded and immediately asked, "How've you been?"

"Not bad," Sora lied, not wanting to worry him though showing up like this was obviously reason enough to worry, "You?"

"Awesomely awesome," Roxas boasted happily, "Though this senior project thing is a real pain."

"You put it off until today didn't you?" Sora asked, laughing a bit when his brother nodded, "What are you doing here then?"

"This is my project," Roxas said proudly, "Riku's letting me run the show with him." Sora heard it but wasn't sure what to say; his brother really was taking this whole circus thing seriously. There was a bit of silence and while Sora was thinking of what to say Roxas asked, "So, what are you doing here?"

That was a question he feared and he just said, "I'm sick…I guess."

"With what?" Roxas quickly asked, sounding very worried.

"Nothing serious don't worry," Sora assured him.

Roxas seemed relieved but couldn't help but ask, "If you're sick though then why are you here?"

Sora wasn't sure how to answer that, not like he could easily explain what happened, "Because when he found out he insisted I rest here," he said, nodding over to the bleachers where Riku was still sitting. The look Roxas gave him made it clear he knew there was more but he didn't ask, instead he just said, "Well, I hope you feel better soon." Sensing his brother's unease Roxas quickly changed the subject to what had been going on in his own life which made things much easier on both of them.

* * *

After quite some time Xigbar took a break and headed for the back room to grab a drink. The last thing he expected to see though when he turned on the lights was Riku sleeping soundly on the couches in the middle of practice. To wake him up he decided to have some fun and scare him, so he loaded one of his guns and shot it into the arm of the couch right above his head. The noise of the shot rang through the room but Riku slept through it and Xigbar thought that odd, "Yo," he said, reaching over the back of the couch and messing up his hair, but all he did was roll over away from him. 

To see just how out of it Riku was, he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his lighter. As soon as he took it Riku grabbed his wrist and glared up at him. Xigbar let go of the lighter and Riku took it back before letting go of Xigbar's wrist and rolling back into the side of the couch.

"Why don't you get rid of that thing?" Riku didn't answer and Xigbar sighed, "It's quite morbid of you, to hang onto it you know?" Again Riku ignored him and Xigbar shook his head, "Thought you'd let go a long time ago."

"Leave."

Xigbar ignored his word though, "It's been 7 years Riku."

"Xigbar, leave," Riku repeated, a bit more sharply this time.

"What did Axel tell you when we got you out? You can't let the past keep you down," Xigbar wasn't going to leave. He knew what happened seven years ago; Axel, the late Ringmaster, and himself were the only ones to know and this was the first time since then he'd ever seen Riku bothered by it.

"I know…" Riku said, grip tightening on the lighter.

'_Where the hell are you going?'_

'_Let go!'_

Xigbar was still worried though and he shook him a little; this was nothing like him, "Come on, what happened? Why are you acting like this huh?"

'_Axel get back here! It's unstable!'_

Riku didn't answer, wishing Xigbar would just leave him alone right now since he really didn't feel well. When it was obvious he wasn't going to leave him alone Riku mumbled, "Earlier I couldn't find it…I panicked and all I could think about was what happened…" Xigbar couldn't help but feel bad for him and he sat on the arm of the couch by him. Riku laughed and sat up though, "…I don't get it. It's never bothered me before."

'_Riku! Where are you!?'_

"…It's over and done with. All that matters is you're okay," Xigbar said, truly understanding why he'd be upset but never had he expected him to be so bothered by it after all the time that had passed.

Riku nodded, sighing a little unevenly and Xigbar tried to take the lighter from him again but Riku still wouldn't let go, "Why do you keep it?" Xigbar asked.

"He started the fire with it," Riku said, "…He tried to kill me but he only killed himself." Xigbar didn't see that as good reason but Riku laughed a little and added, "…I keep it because it killed him…I wanted to be the one to kill him."

Rehearsal went on. Xigbar tried to make Riku go back to the train and get better but he insisted on staying since he'd already agreed to mentor Roxas. It was easily the longest day he'd been through but he shrugged off all that had happened in the back room. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't understand why he'd acted the way he had. It wasn't like he needed the lighter to remember what happened, and he could easily have bought a new one if he had lost it.

* * *

"_Where the hell are you going?"_

_The sharp and slurred bark was familiar to him by now but this time it struck a note of fear through him, shattering his happiness…But he wasn't going to be stopped now, "I'm leaving."_

"_Like hell you are," spat the huge man blocking the doorway._

_After the month he'd had Riku wasn't going to let anyone stop him and he pushed past him, but he grabbed his arm and jerked him back, slamming him against the wall, "Let go!" Riku spat in his face and it sparked enough shock so he could pull free and he jumped over the counter to put some distance between him and his father. He grabbed him by the back of his head though and pulled him back with a fistful of hair, "You're not going anywhere!" One quick and heavy punch to the stomach and Riku was knocked down, unable to breathe and a sharp pain in his ribs from where one or two had been broken with the blow. He was pushed back into the wall and wrapped his arms around his chest, glaring up just in time to see a glass bowl hurling at him._

_Fortunately since his father was drunk his aim was miserable and the bowl shattered against the wall about a foot away from him, "Wretched boy, you're not going anywhere!" he threw another bowl that was on the counter, this one shattering above his head and raining glass down onto him, "You owe me! Your mother stuck me with you so you're not going anywhere while I'm alive!" he growled, coming at him but when he jerked him up to his feet he yelled when he felt a shard of glass gouge deep into his side._

"_Then do us both a favor and die!" Riku hissed, letting go of the bloody glass and pulling away. His chest hurt terribly and he was still short of breath but knew he had to get out of there, so he pulled himself together and ran for the stairs. He was faster than his father by far, even like this but what Riku hadn't planned on was for him to dive after him immediately and he was tackled to the ground. The weight on top of him almost made him shout but he bit his tongue to keep quiet, not about to allow him the satisfaction of hearing him in pain._

"_Here's a better idea, you die!" snarled his father as he covered his mouth and nose to keep him from breathing. Without second thought Riku bit hard into the flesh over his mouth, tearing open his hand painfully. He immediately pulled his hand off and grabbed Riku's wrists, tying them together with an extension cord lying on the floor before he could get enough breath to realize what was going on._

"_Get off of me!" Riku growled as he tried to get free. He got off of him and dragged him across the floor and opened a closet door, tossing him back into it before staggering over to the counter. Riku couldn't see what he was doing, nor did he care; he just focused of getting out of there. He had a future now, granted to him by an unlikely bunch of circus folk and he wasn't going to let it pass him by. He couldn't break the ties on him though and he was stuck against the wall of the closet thanks to the mess of papers and books. He was panicking heavily now and trying to think of something, anything to get out of this._

_Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father come back, a bottle of alcohol in one hand with a rag hanging out the top and a lighter in the other. Riku didn't need to guess as to what he was doing and though he was horrified he watched with as calm an expression he could muster._

"_You're going to hell anyway, may as well start burning now!" laughed his father as he lit the tip of the rag and threw the bottle at the ground. Immediately a large section of the floor caught fire and Riku couldn't hide his fear anymore. His father came over to the closet though and grabbed the front of his shirt and shoved the lighter into his mouth and using the roll of tape in his other hand he taped his mouth shut before he could spit it out. He shoved him back down and turned to leave, but in his drunken movement he tripped and fell down the stairs. Riku couldn't see him fall but he heard it and for some reason couldn't help but want to laugh a little behind the tape and it grew, though it was accompanied by tears._

"_Riku! Where are you!?" _

_Riku came back to his senses when he heard that. It had been quite some time since the fire had started and the smoke was collecting in the closet quickly, making him very woozy. He could hear Axel shouting frantically from the first floor and Xigbar's shouts as well. He tried to reply but his mouth was still sealed and he was still stuck against the wall, the mess of the closet keeping him from getting up._

"_Riku!" Axel shouted again._

"_Axel get back here! It's unstable!" Xigbar yelled._

_Apparently he'd ignored the warning about the stairs because Riku heard Axel's footsteps running across the second floor, "Riku! Answer me!"_

_He heard that and tried to shout for help again but he couldn't with the tape still over his mouth. As a last resort he looked around for something that could make noise for him. His right foot was on top of a stack of newspapers and he pushed them over; they immediately caught fire black smoke rose from the ink on the papers. Axel must have seen it because the next instant he rushed over to the closet, obviously relieved to see he was still alive and in an instant he'd untied the cord around Riku and picked him up. As soon as his wrist were free he pulled off the tape on his mouth and took the lighter out before hugging Axel tightly, just as relieved as he was though still quite a mess. _

"_It's okay," Axel quickly assured him, returning the hug tightly before hurrying back for the stairs, "Everything's okay now, and tomorrow morning you'll wake up a circie."

* * *

_

Riku sat up hastily, heart flying and in a cold sweat. He looked around the dark room, not calming down when he saw where he was and he hugged his arms to his chest to keep from shaking, _'What the hell…Damn it Riku, what's gotten into you,'_ he thought, trying to calm down but it wasn't easy. It had been 7 years and this was the first time it had every bothered him.

It wasn't until he felt like he was being watched that he opened his eyes again and looked around. He saw Sora was lying next to him still, looking concerned but not saying anything. As soon as he saw this Riku recomposed himself and asked, "What?"

"…Bad dream?" was all Sora asked. Riku shook his head and Sora sighed, "And you say I'm a mess…Come on, what's wrong?"

The last person he was going to talk to about this was Sora, "I'm fine," he said, lying back down and rolling away to face the window.

Sora was worried though and sat up, "Riku you can tell me…If you're helping me then I should help you too right?"

"Nothing is wrong, go back to bed," Riku said sharply, not in any mood for this. He felt miserable and just wanted to be left alone.

"Riku…" Sora said, waiting for him to explain but it was obvious he wasn't going to. Finally he gave up and shook his head, "I'm not offering pity, I'm offering support."

Riku looked back over his shoulder at him and Sora smiled reassuringly. With a short moment of contemplation he looked back away and explained. Sora was silent as he explained, able to see everything happening vividly and he stared blankly at him as he finished, "…And that was that. Three broken ribs took some time to heal but Axel was able to get rid of all the smoke damage in an hour."

Sora said nothing for quite some time and Riku sighed, "I don't know why, but today was the first time it's bothered me since that night." No matter how hard he tried still couldn't explain what spurred it.

"…I'm sorry," Sora finally said and Riku looked up quickly only to see he was crying.

"Hey what are you crying for it's—" but he couldn't say 'it's not your fault' because right then he realized what spurred all of this. Sora, "…It's your fault." Sora had the lighter and hadn't known it. He hadn't known all that had happened and didn't realize how significant it was. That naivety of such events was something to be envied and Riku laughed a little when he realized something: all that had happened, then and now, wasn't something to be dwelled on. Everything that was going to happen and everything that already happened made him what he was, and that's all it was.

Sora was still crying when Riku realized this and he smiled and sat up, "Thank you," he said before pulling him into a hug. Sora was confused and looked at him oddly, not understanding but glad to see he was smiling, "What? Seeing me cry makes you feel better?"

Riku laughed and let go of him, pulling his sleeves down to dry up the tears on his cheeks, "No, but you have." He wasn't sure why, but admitting all that had happened made him feel relieved and realizing why he was thinking about it made him feel better too.

Sora was even more confused though and Riku said, "Congratulations, you've helped me be me before I've helped you be you." It made precious little sense but Sora smiled anyway, "You're weird…" was all said before hugging him. It hadn't even been a week and he was already getting used to this, hugging and all.

* * *

Aw, hooray for getting used to hugs! Hugs for everyone! Okay so I've got school tomorrow and it's 1 AM here so that means I need to go to bed now. Update first! Sleep later! Thank goodness tomorrow is a late start though, it'll give me some time in the morning to reply to all your lovely reviews from last chapter and (hopefully!) read new ones for this one! I really hope you guys liked it! It was quite enjoyable to write...O.o I just used the word enjoyable...That's a first and a sure sign I need sleep now! I thank you for taking the time to read and ask for reviews too! Pleasey please! And whether you review or not I still love you all and wish you all the best in all the world!! 

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	19. Encore

Bleh, pure bleh. I've been so stuck on this chapter I have hardly any enthusiasm in presenting it to you...but that is what acting and peppermint tea is for! I shall do my best to present this properly! Rightio! I should start by saying this chapter was such a pain and I usually don't dislike writing this story but this chapter stumped me for days until all I could do was sit and stare at the screen and hope the chapter would just write itself...it didn't though, so I had to write it in bits and pieces as I could force the thoughts out. I just finished last night after 3 hours of writing after getting home from a show and an after party. Tonight is the last night of the show and that means I'll have a LOT more free time (and sleep time!) since I only have one play to do now (SEUSSICAL!!!) so that means faster updates!! WHEE!!

Mmkay, in this chapter we see the winning costume design introduced! If you haven't already seen the picture go to my DA account (linked through my profile) and the link is in a journal entry from a while back called 'So Much to Cover Tonight!' You should really take a look for it is so much cooler to see than to describe. Also the other awesomely awesome entries are posted in a later entry on the DA journal entitled 'Something Other Than 'Happy Valentines Day'' all of them I suggest viewing!

So...anyone up for another contest? XD I've been getting fanart lately which is really awesome and the last contest went so well I thought another contest would be fun! This ones theme is still up in the air though and I've got a few choices to pick from. Just let me know which one you like best and after enough input, the one which is favored the most will be the contest! If you have another fun idea though let me know too!

A. "'Tis the Season" (Holiday time for the circies!! Any holiday! EX: St. Patricks Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, etc.)

B. "The Morning After" (This is actually a description a friend made up for people who are really out of it the morning after something such as: a party, a night in Vegas, sex, a performance, etc.)

C. "Things Could be Worse" (Pretty self explanitory. What's the second to worst situation they could be in?)

D. "Seuss!" (...Yeah, I'm STILL in Seuss mode... Seussify the circies!)

Right, that's about all I can think up right now and I would really love input from you guys on this because I want this to be fun! Think about it and send me a PM, email, msn thingy or just in a review of what you think would be the best one to do! That's enough of my ranting for now though, and this has livened my mood greatly! Hope you enjoy it everyone and let me know what you think please!!!

**SIDENOTE!!!** The song used in this chapter is a VERY slightly edited (maybe 4 lines tops) version of a song called 'Oh, the Thinks You Can Think' and it's from...Seussical...sorry, in uber Seuss mode still XD It's really fun and fitting though me thinks! You guys should so listen to all the songs used in this story by the way, music is essential to this story and really helps the scene evolve in my opinion!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Encore**

"Ready?"

Roxas snapped back from his daze when he heard Riku and he looked up at the half dressed circie as he disappeared behind the closet door. The back room had been expanded to give them more room and closets had been added because costumes were getting misplaced too easily if they stayed in circie possession at non-show times.

"There's still 2 hours until house opens," Roxas said, wondering why he was asking this early in the day. Granted, an audience was already forming a mob of a line outside the Big Top and Lexaeus had to stand guard of the doors again while Vexen sold tickets.

"Psh, house? What happens before then is the real task," Riku said, seconded by Demyx who came in, hair still dripping wet from a shower. He shook his hair dry much like a dog and looked to Roxas, "Aren't you going to get ready?"

"Ready?" Roxas looked at him in confusion, what did he have to get ready for? The show yes but he was already well prepared for an audience.

"Yeah! You know, costume, make up, accessories!" Demyx said eagerly, practically squealing at the idea. Roxas however looked oblivious.

Riku came back into the room, buttoning his shirt as he did so, "Oh that's right you haven't seen it yet," he said with a wry grin.

"Seen what?" Roxas asked curiously.

Demyx eagerly hurried over and sat down by him, "Remember the costume we made for you last time?" Roxas nodded and Riku came over to join them on the counter, "Well Larxene, Demyx, and I made you a present to wear this time."

Roxas looked shocked and quickly asked, "Really? Where? Can I see it?"

"See it? Oh you're wearing it Roxy," Demyx said before hurrying over to the closet. Roxas sat anxiously and after a few moments Demyx returned with a costume on a clothes hanger, "Presenting: you're very first circie outfit!"

* * *

"Fricking shower," swore Axel as he hurried over to the Big Top, going around the long way through the back to avoid the audience. Halfway through practice he'd gotten 'distracted' by Roxas and the two stole away back to their room on the train. Apparently Roxas' nap afterwards had lasted much shorter that his own, because by the time he'd woken up he had barely an hour to get showered and ready for the show. He opened the door to a room full of conversation and buzz, and he scanned the room for Roxas to give him a scolding hug for not waking him up. At first glance he didn't see him but after a second look around he saw a new piece of color in the room, and after examining the face he recognized him, "Roxy?"

Roxas laughed and nodded, practically beaming as he turned around to show off his costume. He had on gray jeans held up by a black and white belt with a long strand of red fabric hooked onto each belt loop around his waist, the one on his right side hanging down to his knee and on his feet he was wearing gray shoes, highlighted with a red color similar to the other fabric. His torso was exposed thanks to a short-cut, high-collared blue vest with gray on the sides and a patch of red on his left shoulder. There were no sleeves but red strings extended from the hole of the right arm and crossed around his right shoulder almost like a web. Also, on the zipper of the vest, there was another strip of red fabric attached to the loop of the metal and hung freely down before curling back up and attaching to the top of the fingerless white glove on his left hand that stretched up beyond his elbow. Around his right wrist was a red band and to top it off he had a gray hat, sitting off to the side of his head with a large patch of red on the right and two small blue patches on the left.

Axel looked him over, surprised and not sure what to make of this, so he just repeated, "…Roxy?"

"Just a little surprise Larxene, Riku, and I drew up over the year, surprised?" Demyx asked with a giggle.

"You're asking the obvious," Riku said before flicking Axel on the head to break him from his daze.

Axel grinned and hurried over to hug Roxas, "It looks great! Unexpected but still great."

"Sort of an eye-opener huh?" Kairi said as she pulled the corset on and hurried over to Riku to get him to tie it.

"Yup. Tonight's show will officially make you a circie," Xigbar said, patting Roxas on the head

"And it's going to make it so I can graduate," Roxas said, highly relieved that he'd managed to pull together a senior project this close to the deadline.

"One of only four circies to make it out of high school," Luxord pointed out as he drew the black clover over his eye in face paint.

When he'd finished tying the corset up for Kairi, Riku laughed and added, "Though we're doing just fine without it thank you." And it was true; Larxene, Luxord, Xigbar, and the late Ringmaster were the only ones to finish high school but the others were just as bright.

The circies continued their last minute preparation and Riku left the room for a cigarette before the show started, just to keep his throat ready. As he was going out the back door though he walked right into someone and they both fell back. In mild shock still, Riku sat up to see what kind of audience member was snooping around back, laughing a bit though when he saw him though, "Bravo on your sense of timing."

Sora sat up too, smiling embarrassedly as he got to his feet and brushed himself off, "You're one to talk."

Riku shrugged, not getting up though and instead reaching into his pocket for his lighter. Much to his surprise Sora grabbed his wrist and stopped him though, and when he looked for an explanation all Sora said was, "Nope, you can't use that thing anymore."

Quirking an eyebrow Riku asked, "And you're going to stop me?"

"You bet," Sora said before bringing his other hand out from behind his back and pushing something into Riku's chest, "Here."

He looked down and took the little red box from Sora, "…Yay, a box."

"Smart ass, open it," Sora said, rolling his eyes with a huff.

"Oh well if you're going to be rude I don't think I'll open it," Riku said and Sora sighed an apology before he opened it and his grin vanished.

"I got bored and went into town while you guys got ready," Sora explained with a smile. Riku looked at the silver metal of the lighter, a top hat engraved into it's body, but he just shut the box and handed it back to Sora. Sora was quite hurt but he'd expected this, and he explained his reason behind the gift, "I just thought it would help you forget."

"I don't need to forget, it doesn't bother me," Riku said before standing up and heading back for the door.

"If it doesn't bother you then why do you keep that thing?" Riku stopped in his tracks and turned back around when he heard that. "…He's dead, so let him die. You can't kill him now so why not forget?" Sora reasoned and Riku knew he was right. "There's no sense in thinking that thing is going to do any damage to him now," Sora explained but when Riku said nothing after quite a long period of time Sora shook his head in disbelief and started to leave.

Barely three steps later he jumped when he heard a sharp crack behind him and spun around only to see the remains of the lighter falling and a small fire on the ground. He quickly looked to Riku when he heard him laughing, confused but soon registered what had happened; he'd just thrown it and it exploded on the ground upon collision.

Sora watched him get up and tap the fire out before coming over and taking the red box from him and pulling out the lighter, "I'd give you a hug and a 'thank you' but I'm sure you're getting tired of those so a verbal thank you will have to do I suppose," Riku said, sounding perfectly fine and he lit his cigarette before looking over the lighter and sticking it in his pocket.

To say the least he was surprised when he was almost tackled by the hug Sora threw him into. "So I'll have to give the hug then along with a 'you're welcome,'" Sora said with a smile. This time however Riku couldn't bring himself to return the hug, still surprised, but Sora let go too soon to notice and he said, "Right, I'm going in to get a good seat, sounds like house is opening now anyways. Good luck tonight," and with that he hurried away. Riku stood there, rudely brought back to his senses when a trail of ashes on the tip of the cigarette fell off and burned the hand holding it. He winced and quickly put the cigarette back between his lips and brushed the ash off of him, cursing himself for being so careless.

* * *

This was their very first full house in this world and while the circies were thrilled, the audience was in a riot of anticipation. Over the year their name and fame had grown, and tonight there were both newcomers and returning fans in the bleachers. When the lights faded out there were cheers before silence, each set of eyes engrossed in the darkness they knew would soon be taken over by exciting sights they'd never seen before.

"I can see that you've got quite a mind for your age!" They heard the voice but the lights were still out and there was some laughter from the floor, "Why, one think and you dragged us right onto stage!"

A second voice was heard though, this one higher but with just as much zeal, "Now, we're here, there's no telling what may ensue with people like us, and thinkers like you!"

The lights began to rise in a mix of dark colors. There were only two people on stage at the moment, back to back but the audience was thrilled just to see that the show had started and they sat on the edge of their seats as the taller of the two began to sing along with the keys on the piano against the wall, a third body seated there.

"_Oh, the thinks you can think!_

_Oh, the thinks you can think_

_If you're willing to try..."_

Roxas picked up next and sang as the lights began to brighten,

"_Think invisible ink! _

_Or a gink with a stink! _

_Or a stair to the sky..._

Riku nodded and added, back to the audience,

"_If you open your mind, _

_Oh, the thinks you will find_

_Lining up to get loose... _

_Oh, the thinks you can think _

_When you think then you do!"_

And in a flash all the dark lights changed to hues of all sorts from red to blue, from green to yellow, and everything in between. Suddenly the audience could see the rest of the circies, whom had been shadowed out in the dark colors. They all joined in, even Demyx at the piano as the drums began to accents notes.

"_Think! Think!_

_Think! Think!_

_Think-Think-Think!_

_Oh, the thinks you can think!_

_Any thinker who thinks_

_Can come up with a few!"_

All the circies struck a pose to signify thinking and courtesy of Marluxia's illusions the ceiling of the circus became consumed by a cloudy night sky instead, while Roxas emphasized it all:

"_Oh, the thinks you can think!"_

Riku dropped his pose as well and suggested,

"_Think a trip on a ship _

_To the Vipper of Vipp."_

And while he said it the illusion was displayed in the ceiling mixed in with the stars and clouds. Larxene and Kairi quickly dropped their thoughts too and in unison suggested:

"_Or to Solla Sollew..."_

Demyx sprung up from his seat and pointed at the sky above, a large mess of what clouds and stars would look like if they were ever to have a car accident with each other,

"_Think of beautiful Schlopp_

_With a cherry on top!"_

Riku laughed and didn't question the thoughts, instead to the audience he announced:

"_You don't need an excuse!"_

Roxas joined him in saying, "Oh, the thinks you can think—"

And the rest of the circies joined in finishing the thought,

"_When you think then you do!"_

With that they all fled into the audience and grabbed random people. Riku pulled one large woman to her feet and said, _"Think of an elephant up in a tree!"_ And a cleverly pulled illusion changed her appearance, a large pineapple tree springing up from the floor and the elephant perched on top of it where the woman once sat.

The audience was amazed and Demyx and Larxene picked up a girl sitting in an isle seat, _"Think of a person too tiny to see!" _in a flash she vanished from sight.

"_Think of a bird with a one-feather tail," _announced Axel when he jumped onto the back of the seat of a burly man, who instantly changed shape to fit the thought. And Axel stood up before running down the backs of the seats to get away from Kairi as she ran up the isle towards him, he quickly sang, _"Going on adventure down a dangerous trail!"_

Kairi picked up the bird and changed the thought, but not back to the man, _"Think a bird who flies off on a spree!" _and he quickly took flight after Axel.

"_Think of a kangaroo, sour as can be!"_ Attention turned to Riku and Roxas as they both headed down to the box seat in the front and pulled Sora up to his feet and the thought took over his appearance like it had all the other.

"_Think of an audience crazy for more!"_ They all beamed as all their illusions on people faded and they returned to their normal appearances as the circies vanished from sight.

"How do you do and hello! We'll be running the show!" Riku said, bowing with Roxas before they stood back up and sang again,

"_We'll pop up here and there,_

_And you'll never where,_

_Who or what you might see._

_You'll see!_

_Think right over the brink,_

_As you think and we do!"_

The audience applauded vigorously as the music faded but continued playing under the noise of their voices, "Good evening everyone!" Riku welcomed as the applause faded and the audience listened eagerly for more, "And welcome to the show!"

"Tonight we are multitasking more than usual, in that this is more than a show," Roxas explained, "It's also a last minute senior project!" The audience laughed, they'd all done those during their high school career and knew the stress caused by putting it off until now.

"But we promise it wont suck," Riku quickly assured them and more laughter arose, and Roxas nudged him with a grin. He was enjoying himself, not even seeing this as a project; projects were supposed to be boring and not fun at all.

"So tonight we begin with—" Roxas heard Riku continue, and the next thing he knew they were all out on the floor taking their final bows in front of an audience that had risen to their feet. Roxas looked around at it all, slightly confused and he looked to Axel beside him for a solution. Axel merely smiled though as he led him off of the floor with the rest of the circies, "Goes by fast doesn't it?"

Roxas nodded, still dazed by all that had happened and how it felt so short despite being roughly 3 hours in length. The rush of the circus, oh how he'd missed it over the year and he looked back at the floor once more with a smile; it was his home now.

* * *

"Goes by fast doesn't it?" Luxord sighed when he realized their night's supply of booze was gone. There was plenty more but they always divided their stock evenly between after parties. Tonight though more people than ever stayed to join in their festivities and their supply had gone by incredibly quick.

"Are you kidding me?" Larxene huffed when she came over to see if he was being serious, "These people are like sponges or potatoes or something."

"…Potatoes?" Luxord asked, wondering if he heard her right. She nodded and walked off unsteadily, making it clear she'd consumed quite a lot of alcohol that evening. Luxord rolled his eyes and went off to swipe a drink from an unsuspecting partier.

"Aw…no more beer," Axel sighed as he put his head down on the bar. Roxas smiled and toyed with his hair to make him feel better, he still was sober though unlike Axel.

"I don't get it. You wont drink, and he wont stop drinking," Riku said to Roxas before gesturing over to Sora who was idly making a tower of all the bottles of liquor he'd emptied that night.

"You guys have more in common than we do," Roxas told him with a bit of an embarrassed smile. Axel sat up a little and put his chin on his hands, "Now behave Roxy. Just because we're your new family doesn't mean you can forget about your old one."

Roxas nodded and knew he had a point, so after giving him a short kiss on the cheek he got off of his seat and went down to spend time with his brother. "Well now aren't you a hypocrite," Riku laughed a bit and Axel shrugged is off, saying, "Maybe so. I just want to make sure he doesn't regret leaving with us."

"I think this world is just trouble for us. Every time we come we always end up picking up a new circie," Riku said, wondering why.

"First Kairi, then Roxy, and this year it's Kadaj," Axel nodded, finding it almost ironic and he laughed a bit, "Maybe we should stop coming back."

Riku almost said something but they both jumped when they heard a loud clanging and crashing, looking down the bar and seeing Roxas and Sora laughing despite the downfall of their bottle tower. "Well we'll have to come back so he can see his brother and dad once in a while," Riku said.

"And so you can check up on your little bed buddy," Axel teased and Riku scowled but before he could retaliate he was knocked over, tackled to the ground by a drunken Sora hug, "The tower felled!!!"

"Your breath stinks, get off!" Riku laughed, trying to get loose but Sora's full deadweight wasn't easy to push off. Just to annoy him Sora breathed right in his face and jumped off before he could get his revenge, "Drunken brat!" he growled, chasing after him. Axel watched from his seat as the two tumbled and chased each other, Roxas coming back to join him and watch as well. The two watched them for a while before getting bored and Roxas pulled Axel to his feet and led him over to the new crate-i-mi-form for a dance.

* * *

It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that Riku finally got back to his room, humming a new tune to himself and being quite when he opened the door as he expected Sora was sleeping off the large amount of alcohol he'd consumed. Needless to say he was surprised to see him still sitting up in bed, fully dressed and slouched back against the headboard. It was clear he'd accidentally fallen asleep, so signified by his posture. Riku laughed a little before changing out of his costume and into sleep attire and coming over to get Sora into bed. The brunette looked much more comfortable lying down with his head on the pillow and Riku pulled the covers up over him before getting in bed as well.

Just as he was starting to go to sleep he heard Sora mumble, "Where were you?"

"Out," was all Riku said and Sora laughed a little before asking, "Was she pretty?"

Riku laughed as well, surprised at how well Sora connected the dots when he was drunk and half asleep, "They all were."

Sora opened one eye groggily, "I was worried about you."

Riku wasn't expecting that but he patted him on the head, "Don't worry. It's not good for you."

"Neither is sleeping around," Sora retaliated, obviously not amused.

Riku grinned and rolled over to face him, "What exactly do you think I was doing?" Sora was confused, obviously, and Riku said, "Here's a hint: flirting is more fun than jumping sheets."

Sora looked at him oddly, "…You mean you weren't…" he really didn't even need to finish that sentence.

"Nope," Riku said, finding his surprise funny, "Don't take me for such a whore. I'm only sharing one bed you know."

Sora rolled over away from him, slightly embarrassed by his assumptions, which had been there for over a year. Riku laughed again though and pulled him back into a hug, "But that doesn't mean you can get your hopes up." Sora was too tired to argue now or think of an insult to counter that one, so he just sighed and went to sleep like that, smiling ever so slightly though despite it all.

* * *

Woo! Finally updated! Sorry it's so short, like I said earlier: this chapter stumped me for a LONG time. Anyways, what did you think? I know I didn't write the full show but the opening took long enough and drained me to the point I wasnt sure what to write next...plus finding the right song took forever and a day

I must be off now though, have a 5:30 call for tonights show and it's going to be a LONG night that will more than likely carry on into the morning hours. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though and I plan to update soon, especially since a big mark is getting knocked off of my schedule tonight! Please review, I know I'm still behind and I'm slowly but surely taking care of them all, and I promise you will get a reply! Also, please choose an option for the contest and let me know it in the review, a PM, email, msn thingy or whatever so it can get started soon!

Thank you a million times for taking the time to read, and I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	20. Interruption and Infatuation

…gasp…a new chapter?! You bet it is! Haha and I'm really very curious as to how this one will go over. The chapter title should already have you guys thinking but is it what you think or am I just having some fun with playing on words? Who knows? Me! XD I'm being mean, sorry, but you'll find out all that for yourself soon enough.

So I mentioned the contest last chapter and I got some opinions on it so thank you very much! I'll announce the contest in the next chapter but for now I'll just post the options again and ask for more votes! I'm having another contest because lately I've been seeing ALOT of awesomely awesome fanart and since the Roxas costume design one went so well another one would be fun I think. However, I'm not sure what kind of contest to make it so here are a few options. Choose which one you think would be the most fun and I'll officially start it when I get enough input. If you have another fun idea though let me know too!

A. "'Tis the Season" (Holiday time for the circies!! Any holiday! EX: St. Patrick's Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, etc.)

B. "The Morning After" (This is actually a description a friend made up for people who are really out of it the morning after something such as: a party, a night in Vegas, sex, a performance, etc.)

C. "Things Could be Worse" (Pretty self explanatory. What's the second to worst situation they could be in?)

D. "Seuss!" (...Yeah, I'm STILL in Seuss mode! Seussify the circies!)

I can't believer this story broke 300 reviews! You guys are amazing! I can't even begin to thank you enough and there is a present for you waiting over at my DA (Linked through my profile. Just click my homepage) I hope you guys like it because I love you all so much it's not even funny! I promise to continue to write and do my best to make you guys happy! Without further adieu, Chapter 19!

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Interruption and Infatuation**

_One week. _

_168 hours of happiness. _

_Then it happened._

Roxas moaned against Axel's lips as he pushed him back against a wall of the room. The after party was fun yes, but when testosterone called they both were more than eager to retreat to their room. Roxas tugged impatiently at Axel's shirt, pulling him closer to seal the space between them.

Axel was one step ahead of him and took him by surprise when he picked him up and held him up with his hands under his thighs. The sudden change in height brought more than just their eye level together, and there was a mixed noise of pleasure from them both. Roxas wrapped his legs around his hips and Axel pushed him back against the wall again as his mouth left Roxas' and began to travel down his neck. The collar of his costume got in the way and Roxas quickly pulled the zipper down and shrugged the material off of his shoulders to give Axel free reign.

Axel grinned cattily and kissed the base of his neck, making Roxas whine and twist as he wound his way down his body. Roxas rubbed himself against Axel, one of his hands reaching down to grab the hand on his thigh and guide it further and Axel knew what he meant and he pressed his fingers against the clothing between his hand and Roxas' backside. The gentle pressure made him sigh and Axel quickly returned to his kisses. Axel had teased the skin on his neck until it was a distinct pink and Roxas smiled a little when he felt his mouth travel lower.

Axel froze suddenly though and looked over to the door, Roxas soon realized something was wrong and asked with concern, "What is it?"

"There's a fire," he said before putting Roxas down, seeming quite serious now and quickly pulling his shirt back on and heading out of the room. Roxas wasn't insulted at all by his sudden change of attention, he knew it must have been serious and he too quickly zipped his vest back up and hurried out after him. Outside they could smell smoke and hear a ruckus going up the hill at the circus, "Damn," Axel swore, "Roxy go get Marluxia and tell him we need him now, bring them all out!" he ordered as he hurried up the hill to see what was going on. Roxas knew he was right, Marluxia could dispose of the fires with a bit of enchantment, and if something serious was going on they'd need all the circies help.

As Axel was running up the hill Kairi was running down, holding Kadaj and looking panicked. Now usually she wouldn't have brought him to the after party, but tonight it was supposed to be just between the circies, apparently things had gone wrong though. "Hey, wait up what's going on up there," Axel asked quickly and Kairi frantically explained, "These jerks showed up and—Axel they're drunk—Xigbar tried to get rid of them but they—One of them tries to stab Riku and—They're fighting and everything's a mess—" she was on the verge of tears and hugged Axel tightly for comfort. He quickly said, "Get back to the train with little guy and don't worry, everything will be fine." She nodded and hugged him once more before hurrying back to the train while Axel headed up the hill, stunned by what he saw.

The bar had been set on fire and bottles of liquor were smashed as well as glasses and stools. He didn't hesitate to sock an unfamiliar body in the face when he saw him running at him. The man's nose crumbled and began to bleed and Axel knocked him out of the way before looking around to take in what was happening. The circies were in a fierce brawl with a group of unfamiliar youths whom obviously were beyond smashed.

"Yo! What's going on here?!" he demanded while hurrying over to help Demyx up from where he'd just been knocked flat. Demyx swung his foot up though and nailed his attacker between the legs with as much force behind him as possible which was more than enough to send him to his knees in a fetal position. When he was up to his feet Demyx explained, "These bastards showed up and apparently they had some kind of grudge against Riku because that jerk face tried to stab him!" Axel looked to where he was pointing and saw Riku struggling with a weasel like looking man known as Seifer. Apparently that led to a fight between the circies and Seifer's gang because all the circies were occupied with the mess of drunkards.

Axel couldn't absorb the fire because of the high level of alcohol in the flames so he couldn't help there so he hurried over to help Zexion who was much quicker than the goon after him but couldn't run forever. Xigbar dealt with his trouble maker and struck him hard enough across the head to knock him out, "Let's round them up and turn them in," he announced. They all agreed and Luxord soon finished as well, and as the drunks fell and were knocked out they were tied up in a crate.

When it was done and the fire was out, Demyx hotwired the truck the drunks had driven here in and they loaded them into the truck bed. Luxord and Zexion drove them into town to dump them at the police station while the rest of the circies took a breather to calm down after what just happened. Larxene laughed a bit and looked over at Riku, who was lying down on the ground, "So? Did you sleep with his girlfriend or his mother."

They all laughed except for Riku who assured her, "Neither, and thank you for thinking so highly of me."

"That was Seifer and his gang…" Sora explained to them, he'd been hiding during the brawl upon instruction from numerous circies, "Riku made fools of him and the gorilla looking guy at the college."

Demyx giggled and came over to sit beside him, "So they got drunk enough to do something about it?"

"Apparently so," Xigbar sighed, not about to say 'I'm getting too old for this' even though the look on his face made that clear, "They'll be doing community service and paying for fire damage though so no sense in thinking we'll be in any trouble."

"I dunno, I think Riku should get in trouble for starting all this," Demyx taunted with a grin, "Give me a hug though and I'll forgive you."

"No hug for you," Riku said shortly.

Demyx looked hurt and asked sadly, "Why not?"

"Because," Riku explained with a sigh, "There's a hole in my stomach thanks to the bastard and it hurts to sit up." As soon as he said that all the circies looked at him abruptly, assuming it to be some sarcasm or trick but no, there was a hole in his shirt where he'd been stabbed but it was hidden by his jacket and his hands were over it.

"W-wha…Speak up next time!" Axel scolded as he hurried over and examined the cut. It wasn't very deep and would heal fine without stitches. Riku was oddly sedated tonight, or just plain tired, whatever the reason was they went back to the train and Vexen treated the wound while the other circies gossiped or went to bed. After making sure he was going to be okay and giving him a few pain killers, Axel sent Riku to bed.

"Since when were you responsible for designating my bedtime?" Riku asked as he waited for the pain killers to take effect.

"Since you got a tear in your stomach the size of my fist," Axel answered before nudging him off of the couch, "Now go to bed."

Riku sighed and headed down the hall, calling back, "Yes mother." Sora got up off of the couch too and started after him, stopping when Axel caught him by the back of his shirt, "And you, be nice. He's not feeling well." Sora looked at him oddly, wondering if he thought he was causing trouble for him when he was trying to do anything but. He nodded though and headed down the hall for the room he was sharing with Riku.

Axel finally sat down with a very heavy sigh and Roxas smiled, "Rough night?"

"Rougher than sex with a cactus," Axel admitted, though they both thought about that image before quickly dismissing it, "Thank goodness tomorrow is the last show this weekend."

Roxas liked that thought much better than the cactus one and nodded, "We'll get to sleep in past noon!"

Axel liked that thought more than a day off, and he grinned a bit, "Yup…and that means we won't have to get out of bed to get ready for a show early." Roxas nodded with a smile before leaning over against him, "You know, we never got to finish earlier."

The grin on Axel's face wasn't devilish, more amused and he shook his head, "Naughty Roxy, no sex when I feel like crap though, remember?"

Roxas nodded before kissing his cheek, "Cuddling then?"

"Race you to bed," Axel said before letting go of him and springing off the couch, dashing out of the room and down the hall. Roxas laughed and chased after him, "No fair!"

* * *

Sora came into the room, surprised to see Riku sitting up in bed scribbling away on a notebook, "Do you need anything?"

"Sleep," he said shortly and Sora laughed a bit and came over to see what he was writing, "Then why don't you put that thing away and go to bed." But before he could see Riku reached up and flicked him on the head with his pen, "Because if I don't write this down now I won't write it as well in the morning."

"I want to see," Sora said, trying to look again but Riku put his free hand up and held Sora's head back. While Sora struggled to see, Riku finished writing and put the notebook away, letting go of his head and Sora went falling forward and landed across his lap, "Come on, what were you writing?"

Riku grinned though and lied back, grimacing a little from the wound on his stomach and Sora sat up and scooted off of him, "Just a song."

"What about?" Sora asked with interest.

"Someone," Riku admitted with a grin and Sora was confused but when he questioned him further about it he said nothing. "Fine, be stubborn," Sora said before flopping back with a huff and rolling away from him. Riku enjoyed annoying him and rolled onto his side to pull him back but it hurt and he went back onto his back with a frustrated sigh. Sora laughed a little, "Problem?"

Not about to let him win Riku quickly said, "Nope," but he didn't roll after him again and Sora laughed a little before scooting back over to him, "Really? So it doesn't hurt if I poke you here?" he asked before tapping his finger on his chest.

"Nope."

"Here?" Sora asked, poking his arm.

"Still nothing."

"And here?" Sora said while poking his side.

Riku laughed a bit in his throat, "Tickles."

Sora grinned and continued to poke him, knowing he was getting annoyed and Riku finally grabbed his wrist and pushed him over, holding him down with one hand on his chest. Sora squeaked in surprise, not expecting him to be able to move that much or that fast in his condition. "See, now this would hurt if it weren't for wonderful little pain killers," Riku said with a grin. Sora laughed embarrassedly, holding up his hands in a truce but Riku didn't let him up, instead he poked him in the stomach, "Here?"

Sora laughed and Riku grinned, knowing he was ticklish and while holding him down with one hand he tickled his stomach. Sora tossed and turned, laughing and struggling to break free. He got loose and Riku grabbed onto him to keep him from escaping but as they rough housed they ended up falling off the bed. Riku hit the floor first and wasn't hurt until Sora landed on top of him, causing him quite a lot of pain but Sora must have realized this because in a flash he got off of him and quickly asked, "Are you okay?"

"If I say no will you knock this off?" Riku asked and Sora quickly nodded, feeling terrible but surprised when Riku said, "Then yes, I'm okay," and he grabbed Sora by the front of his shirt and pushed him back down. Sora laughed and the two went tumbling around the room again. A small side effect of the pain killer Riku had taken though was drowsiness and he was soon utterly exhausted. Sora smiled when he gave up and got him back to bed, finding how quick he fell asleep quite humorous since only moments ago he was practically bouncing off the walls.

Sora however couldn't get to sleep as easily and he decided that since Riku was sleeping he'd take this opportunity to find out what he was writing. Sure he knew it was an invasion of privacy but he was too curious to care. Usually he was more than willing to share what he'd written but as of the past few nights he'd be up for hours scribbling and Sora never once got to look. He found the notebook where it was always kept in the nightstand along with papers, a packet of cigarettes and his lighter. There was actually a large stack of notebooks in the closet, all filled with music and songs he'd written and that was what Sora found himself reading them when he had nothing else to do or during circie rehearsals.

He looked over to make sure Riku was sleeping before opening the notebook to read over the newest entry. Several areas of the page had been scribbled over as if he'd reconsidered his writing numerous times and Sora read over the parts still visible. The title had been rewritten and scratched out many times as well, and he saw the only thing that could have been a title on the page read, 'Your Song' and Sora looked over at him again, wondering if it was wrong to be reading this.

_My gift is my song_

_And this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody_

_That this is your song_

_It maybe quite simple_

_But now that it's done_

_Hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind_

_That I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world._

Sora reread it a second time, wondering how it had taken so long to write something so short and that it had been rewritten and edited to the point of illegibility. He sat back down on the bed, and read it a third time, slowly digesting it and thinking deeply into the words. Riku told him that he'd written if for someone and he told himself that it was written for someone Riku had met at an after party, or one of the circies perhaps. He told himself that but couldn't help but feel flattered when he thought it was written for someone other than that, someone like…

He shook his head though and quickly stood back up and put the notebook away, going over to the window for a breath of air, not sure why he was feeling a bit light headed. _'…he wrote it for someone else,'_ he kept telling himself that but he was torn between believing it or not.

Sora told himself he didn't want to believe it because he was straight, and Riku had been firm on that as well even though he teased him about his sexuality numerous times. He didn't want to believe it because he knew he was annoyed by him, mocked, sheltered and toyed by him daily…But he almost wanted to think the song was written for him. He enjoyed the time he'd spend here with the circies and him more than he had his entire year, and had more fun than he should have been since he was supposed to be recovering from all the mess he'd been through.

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world._

The line stuck with him and he smiled a little, unable to hide it. He made life wonderful? _'No! Not me!'_ Sora corrected himself frantically, looking back over at Riku, sleeping soundly in bed.

Even if the worlds had been written for him he knew nothing was meant by it, no matter how badly he wanted them to mean something more. _'I don't want them to mean more!!!'_ he yelled at himself, cursing himself for the thoughts he was having and he blamed Riku for them. It was his fault he couldn't figure out what was right though he told himself none of what he was feeling was real. He laughed a little, realizing how foolish of a fool he'd been for thinking there was something, anything, there or that there ever would be. He'd written it for a girl he'd met at an after party, his latest infatuation, that was all.

After taking a breath he came back over but he couldn't get into bed. He just stood there thinking about everything that was going on, everything that had become quite a mess. That song stuck with him and he couldn't help but wonder: what if the song was for him? He stared at Riku, whom he had barely known for a week, and told himself it wasn't possible. The first problem was that he was a man, the second problem was that he was a circie. Even if there was something there he'd be gone in a month and that would be that…That would be that.

"That would be that," Sora repeated again. He still couldn't bring himself to get in bed, he had to know if there was something there. Even if it meant ruining what he was living now he had to know and he crawled across the bed to him and suddenly he felt horribly nervous, second guessing his idea but at the same time he wanted to know how it felt. After only a moment of hesitation he leaned down and kissed him on the lips, fearful of the reaction he'd receive.

He could feel him wake up and groggily come to his senses, but rather than push him off he leaned up and pushed him down into bed. Sora felt himself shiver with the actions and he opened his mouth to welcome more, not finding their actions the least bit awkward because they felt so right. Sora was bothered though when he felt him pull back from the kiss and look down at him. It was more than obvious he was confused as to what spurred this outburst of affection, and surprised himself just as much by responding in this manner. Sora stared at him, trying to think of what to say to explain himself but he couldn't think of anything and he did the only thing he could think to do, "The song? Who was it for?" he asked.

Riku smiled a little, "I'm not sure. I just wrote what I was thinking."

"Oh," Sora said, feeling quite embarrassed but he forgot about it when he felt Riku lean down and kiss his cheek, "It does seem fitting though doesn't it? It's your song…_It may be quite simple,_

_But now that it's done,_

_Hope you don't mind,_

_I hope you don't mind,_

_That I put down in words…"_

Sora smiled and shook his head though, second guessing himself before he could finish the song, "No, no this isn't right," he said, cutting him short and squirming away from him, "It isn't right and you know it?"

"Why not?" Riku asked, unsure of how he saw things wrong.

Sora walked away from the bed and paced to the window, his head sore and his mind fuzzy, "Because…you're you and I'm me!"

"So?"

"We're too different!" Sora insisted, practically yelling at himself.

"Says who?" Riku asked, wondering who wrote the book on this sort of thing, "If you can spark even the littlest interest for a guy out of me then that means something must be right."

Sora shook his head though, "No, it means nothing," he told himself, "I'm not interested though, I'm not."

"Who started that kiss?" Riku pointed out, finding the stage of self-denial amusing.

Sora realized he was right. He'd started all this and he knew he felt but he shook his head harder, not wanting to admit it, "But…but it wouldn't work out! You're leaving at the end of the month!"

"Come with me."

Sora stopped shaking and looked at him as if he were mad, "Stop this. How dare you even think these things when we don't even know each other?" His tirade was quieted when Riku stood up and pull him into a kiss, and Sora couldn't keep himself from grabbing onto him and holding tightly.

"That's why I dare," Riku said after pulling back from the kiss, "It's a good feeling that I'm new to. And since you aren't slapping me across the face right now I'm assuming you felt it too."

Sora nodded dazedly, the butterflies in his stomach were almost violent and he was having trouble looking up at him, "But…" Sora didn't know how to finish but sighed contentedly when he felt him kiss his forehead and say, "It's called taking a chance. I'm not calling it any more than that because it's not."

"…Not yet," Sora corrected, smiling a little and holding on tighter to him. He couldn't help but hope there would be more. They'd be doing more than taking a chance and he'd do his best to make sure this chance worked out for the best, _"How wonderful life is_…" Sora sang quietly and Riku finished with him, _"Now you're in the world."_ And they sealed it with a kiss, knowing it was only a chance they were taking and many would think it was too soon; but they didn't care. The happiness it brought and would continue to bring was all they needed and wanted.

* * *

…So…um…yeah. WOO FOR RIKUSORA! I'm not sure what else to say other than now I can confirm all those rumors and now I sit here waiting for response. Hope this hasn't killed the story for any of you, I just wrote things as they came and Sora and Riku came together. Too soon? I don't think so, not for them just because they've got an odd sort of relationship between them that's difficult to understand…I wonder what Kairi will say when she finds out XD Well what did you guys think? I want to know!!! I love you all very much and wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

**SIDENOTE: **The song used in this is called 'Your Song' and it's from Moulin Rouge. I didn't say this at the beginning because that would have spoiled things me thinks!


	21. Belong

Whee! I updated! I was going to update yesterday but the site was being a poo head with a lot of traffic and I couldn't login...And I'm still behind on reviews…I'm working on it I promise! Spring break just started today and I'm going to do my best to catch up on everything, get the contest going and update more quickly! Also I've got a new story in progress and the first chapter is just about done so please everyone keep an eye out for it before the night is over. It will be an AkuRoku and while I can't say much about it I can tell you this much: pirates.

Enough of that! Just be surprised! Anyways, the contest polling is done and **the theme for** **the contest is A. "'Tis the Season" (Holiday time for the circies!! Any holiday! EX: St. Patrick's Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, etc.)** So let loose everyone and draw the circies enjoying/hating/sleeping through/prepping for or whatever you want for the holiday of your choice. Entries can be submitted by emailing me with the link (My email address is on my profile) or going to DA and sending it in a note there (My DA is my homepage and linked through my profile) or sending me an IM through MSN messenger (gypsy(underscore)panda and that's at hotmail. Can't write the full address out or the underscore or it would get broken by this site) Last time when entries were submitted through reviews of PM's the links were broken because this site doesn't like links apparently, so I encourage you guys to use one of the three other options.

Antyways, here's a new chapter for you all to enjoy. The title is always the last thing I do and this one was hard to come up with and I don't really like, but it sort of works…oh well, at least this chapter wasn't a pain to write and it's long!! ENJOY!!!

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Belong**

"I knew it," Axel said with a catty grin as they left the train for the Big Top to rehearse before tonight's show. Riku said nothing, nor had he stopped smiling all morning. Keeping a secret in this family was difficult if not impossible, and Axel was the first to find out the latest secret. To say the least he was shocked but pleasantly so. It had been a while since he'd seen him this happy and even if it was with Sora he was glad, "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Riku asked, smiling still despite Axel's behavior.

Axel hurried on ahead of him and walked backwards to talk to him, "You've got the hots for him."

Riku shook his head though, "Nope."

Axel was a bit confused, "So you two were kissing because you just felt like it this morning?"

"Pretty much," Riku told him, "I'm not sure what it is we're in but I like it and plan to see it through. It's a good feeling."

"For another two weeks," Axel added, reminding him of their departure date.

Riku shrugged though, "Yeah, I thought that too, but we've decided that it's his choice at the end of the month what he does."

Axel stopped and eyed him oddly, "…You're kidding." It was obvious after a few seconds that he was being serious and Axel flicked him on the head, "You get a 'good feeling' about someone, a guy at that, and suddenly you're considering commitment?"

"I'm not considering it. The last time I even considered commitment things ended badly," Riku assured him.

"So, 7 years of one night stands led to this huh?" Axel laughed a little, finding his predicament amusing, "Well, as long as you're happy."

Riku was glad to hear that, he was happy, genuinely happy. He still wasn't the least bit sure what started this or why he was infatuated with the boy, but he didn't mind. He liked things the way they were. "How's Roxy's talent coming?"

"He's been thinking about it but he's kinda stumped," Axel told him. Roxas still hadn't been able to find his niche in the circus and so Riku was more than willing to let him continue to duo run the show with him, but they all knew he had to find something.

"Well anything and everything is available still," Riku said, thinking about what he could do, "Does he like elephants?"

"Nah, I asked him about that already, he's got a phobia of them," Axel said with a sigh.

Riku understood, after an incident a few years back all the circies feared elephants, "Ah, well he's not the only one. What about heights?"

"Eh…he's okay with them. Not exactly used to them since his bedroom is the highest he's been," Axel explained. He noticed Riku grin more and Axel quickly realized what he'd said, "Don't you dare take that the wrong way perv."

* * *

"Morning Roxas!"

Roxas opened his eyes groggily, looking at his brother sitting in bed beside him. Now he was surprised to see him in such a good mood, though his mood had noticeably increased during his stay here but this morning there was definitely an extra spring in his step, "What's up?"

"You are now," Sora said, reaching down to pull him into a noogie and Roxas struggled and whined until he let go, "Come on, time to get up."

Roxas sat up and fixed his hair, "What's put you in such a good mood?"

"Because I was up all night doing the same thing you were!" When Sora said that Roxas immediately lost all the color in his face and his eyes grew to the size of golf balls. "Enjoying the evening with someone I care about."

Roxas thanked the gods for his brother's naivety to what he and Axel had been doing and smiled a little, "You mean Riku?"

Sora nodded, his smile growing, "Yup! And I couldn't be happier!"

Roxas was glad to see him so happy and he got out of bed, noticing Axel had already left and he assumed that meant they were rehearsing for tonight's show. He sighed when he remembered that he still had to find something to do for the show as soon as possible, "Hey Sora?"

"Hm?" he asked before getting off the bed and straightening the sheets and pillows.

"What am I good at?" Sora was obviously about to tell him he was good at many things, thinking he was just depressed, so Roxas added in, "I need to find something I can do for the show."

"You can sing," Sora said, thinking of the first thing that came to mind.

"Yeah but that's Riku's spot. I have to find my own," Roxas explained. Sora thought for a while and Roxas sighed before changing into a set of day clothes, wearing Axel's shirt just because it was more comfortable than his own.

Sora waited for him then led him out to the common car to get him fed before heading to the Big Top. Roxas continued thinking as he searched through the cabinets for a meal. The other circies were either still asleep or nowhere to be found so they had to fend for themselves for food. Roxas sat on the kitchen floor and munched on an apple as he continued to ponder what to do, "…Hey Sora…do you think that…Sora?" he looked around but realized his brother was absent and he got up to look find him, "Sora?" he called, heading for the open door out of the common car, assuming he'd gone outside.

He was correct in his assumptions and saw Sora walking around and examining all of the equipment set up on the ground outside that the circies used to help keep at the top of their game. Xigbar's targets, bars that Demyx and Larxene could spin on, weights, a balance beam, a trampoline, and a random assortment of balls of all sizes and mass. "Do they really use all this stuff?" he asked curiously as he bent down to pick up one of the weights. Barely three inches off the ground though he found it too heavy and had to let go.

"Yup," Roxas said as he came out to join him. Sora was intrigued by the idea and climbed up on the trampoline, bouncing a little and beckoning Roxas up to join him. Roxas climbed up and joined into the bounce, their timing enough that they could send the other flying. Roxas flew over his brother's head and landed behind him to send him back up and Sora landed on the side off of the mat and Roxas followed suit, laughing a little at the fun. "Do you remember when mom signed us up for gymnastics when you were in 4th grade?" Sora asked and Roxas nodded with a grin, "And dad was so embarrassed because everyone else's son was in baseball."

They both laughed and Sora sprung off the trampoline and back to the ground, heading for the balance beam instead, "Okay, who am I?" he cleared his throat and then in the most annoying and nasal female voice with a Russian accent he could muster he said, "Roxamis! Point your toes and stop looking at the ground! Be one with your inner butterfly!"

Roxas snorted and held his sides, "Madame Claudia!" he rolled with laugher and climbed up onto the balance beam, "Inner butterfly, what a loon."

Sora followed him up, "Yeah, she was a crazy alright. It's a good thing mum pulled us out after the first month. I think I might have impaled myself with her cane if I had to go through another class."

Demyx hurried away from the Big Top, running toward the train at a frantic speed. Sora and Roxas saw him come running down the hill, and Roxas said, "Hiya Demyx!" but the only thing they heard in reply was, "Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!" They watched him bolt into the train and vanish from sight. There was a short silence then they both laughed and went back to their balancing act.

Demyx came back out of the train humming a little tune and feeling much better. He saw Roxas and Sora and paid little mind to what they were doing, "Hi guys!" he said as he passed. A few steps up the hill though he looked back and realized something. _'They're pretty good…'_ he thought, watching them spin and tumble on the bar without wavering. He suddenly got a look in his eyes and sprinted up the hill toward the Big Top to share his discovery.

* * *

"You want me to what?!" Roxas looked at Riku as if he'd just asked him to wear a sundress and sell churros.

"Walk the tightrope Roxy!" Riku repeated, "Demyx saw you and your brother practicing and you've got talent! A natural sense of balance and poise just waiting and begging to be woken up and delved into!"

"Stop making things sound so elegant, in short it's your gift Roxy," Larxene said, pushing Riku's head down so he would be quiet. They'd all gathered in the common car to put their newest plan into motion.

Roxas shook his head, "Nope. Not a chance. No way in—"

"Aw come on Roxas, it sounds fun," Sora even joined in.

Roxas looked at him, "Oh well if it sounds so fun why don't you do it?"

"Sure, why not!" Sora said in a chipper tone. Roxas shook his head though, he knew how high up the tightrope was while his brother didn't and he wasn't too keen on doing something like what they'd been doing at that height. Also the tightrope was a wire, not a bar.

"See! He's game!" Riku said glad they had even more back up, "It could be a duo act!"

Axel and the others loved the idea just as much, "Come one Roxy, give it a chance! We'll put up safety net and everything!" Axel pleaded, jumping over the back of the couch and hugging Roxas tightly. They'd only once had an act on the high wire simply because it was none of their specialty. Larxene and Demyx could manage it a little but were better trained on the trapeze so that's where they practiced.

Roxas looked around at all the faces on him, realizing he was outnumbered by both his immediate and new kin, "Guess I've got no choice," he said, figuring he'd at least give it a try. As soon as he said it all the circies cheered and hurried out of the car to start the setup, and as they left Roxas noticed Riku take and hold Sora's hand.

Axel was about to leave as well but he saw the look of shock on Roxas's face and he came back to see what was wrong, "Roxy?" Roxas wasn't sure what to say, astonished by the realization he'd just come across. Sure his brother had said he was happy because he'd spent the night with someone he cared about but never had he thought that meant his brother actually cared about Riku in that way, "…They…Those two are…?"

Axel knew what he was asking and nodded before helping him up and hugging him, "Yup." Roxas wasn't sure what to do still, finding the pairing difficult if not impossible to imagine, "For how long?"

"Since last night," Axel told him, surprised at how well he seemed to be taking it.

Roxas said nothing for quite some time, "…but they're so…"

"Different, yeah I know," Axel laughed a bit before taking his hand and leading him towards the door, "We're guilty of that too you know."

Roxas knew he was right but was still a little baffled, "…And what about…"

"Then end of the month? Well they aren't sure yet," Axel said, knowing what he was talking about before he even asked it, "They're happy though so let's be happy for them."

Roxas said nothing but he nodded. He was happy that they were happy but he just couldn't see them together, it just didn't click in his mind and Axel must have noticed because he asked, "What?"

"…They just…I just don't feel right about this," Roxas said, "I mean I like them both and they're both good people it's just something about this makes me worry."

Axel nodded and hugged him, "Let them work it out. If it doesn't work out then it doesn't work out." Roxas looked out after the new couple but still didn't feel good about and while he told himself they were happy he just couldn't accept it. "Give it a chance Roxy, for them?" Axel suggested. In all honesty he felt a bit hesitant and worried about the relationship too, but he just wanted Riku to be happy. All relationships except for one had ended badly for him, and as a result he'd resolved to avoid them which resulted in one night stands, flirtations, and making any necessary attempt to avoid commitment. Just seeing he was taking this chance, even if it was with Sora, it was enough to make Axel think this could work.

Roxas failed to see this though, but he put on a smile anyway and leaned up to kiss him before chasing after the other circies. He ran right under the hands of Sora and Riku, still held discreetly together between them as they followed the others as well. Roxas smiled back at them once he was through and then hurried ahead to join Demyx and Axel, who'd long since passed him.

"He knows?" Riku asked, looking over at Sora.

"He knows," Sora confirmed with a sigh, "You figure he'd have caught on after this morning but I guess he's still as naïve as ever."

"First Axel, now him…Wonder how long it will take until the rest of them know," Riku said. He realized he must have said it in a way he hadn't meant because Sora looked at him with a bit of disappointment and took his hand back, "If you're so worried about what the others will think then why don't you—"

"Aw don't get your panties in a knot," Riku said, pulling him back with a grin.

Sora pouted though and crossed his arms, "You're such a pain."

Riku kissed his cheek and asked, "Here, would this help?" he let go of him and called ahead to the other circies, "Everyone! I've got an announcement!" The circies looked back and Riku said, "I'm g—"

"Going to miss the after party tonight because my dad called and he needs to talk to him about renewing your visiting rights," Sora interrupted him and the others bought it and all didn't seem to mind, in fact they rejoiced at the idea of their next visit.

When everyone returned to their own discussions Riku 'hmm'd a little to himself before saying, "So, clarify this for me, which one of us is worried about what the others will think?" Sora said nothing though, not sure what to think. He hadn't expected Riku to try that and he hadn't expected he'd react that way. Riku took his hand though and lifted it up to kiss the top, "It's okay. Take as long as you need," he assured him.

Sora smiled a little and nodded, glad he wasn't put off by his uncertainty and was willing to keep this quiet. Sure it would be only the circies that would know but for some reason he still couldn't bring himself to admit it even to them. Riku started to let go but Sora held onto his hand and smiled a little, "…Just because we don't say anything doesn't mean we can't show anything."

Riku laughed and spun him around with the hand he was holding, "And you say I'm odd."

"You're more than that but odd is the only nice word for it," Sora rolled his eyes and headed after the others with him, but when they made it to the Big Top he suddenly realized what they were doing, "…We're supposed to walk…that?"

"You're in this too, don't you dare back out now!" Roxas said, grabbing his brother and pulling him to the wire being rigged at a low height for now just so they could practice. During a show it would be above the trapeze and almost touching the top.

"Woo! Another unofficial circie!" Demyx squealed, running up and jumping on Sora's back, "Welcome to the family!"

"Um…thank you?" he said, not sure how he was supposed to reply. All he knew was that Demyx was too heavy for him to hold.

Riku was sitting on the ground watching the setup, an unlit cigarette in his mouth and he seemed very deep in thought until Kairi came over and dropped Kadaj on his lap, "Baby for your thoughts?"

Riku picked up Kadaj and stood up, "I've got an idea…" he said, a grin growing on his face. In less than an hour the simple one wire that had for so long been called the tightrope had been transformed into something new. There were many wires now, all straight and flat but branched in a way that they could make all sorts of shapes, this one was more like a web though.

"When you think you really think," Xigbar said as he surveyed the new act. He and Luxord were actually familiar with the original tight rope walker of this circus, she was the late Ringmaster's daughter but after her father passed away she left the circus since she'd never wanted to be a part of it anyway and now that he was gone she had no reason to be tied to it.

"We aren't doing this tonight are we?" Sora asked and they all laughed at him, even though he couldn't figure out what was so funny.

"You'll be lucky to be running this act in a week," Luxord snorted.

The wait time made Sora skeptical about the circies talents, "It takes that long?"

"To get a basic act," Larxene said, "To get a superb act it takes months to years."

"We're under a time crunch though if we want to get you both running for this season," Riku added, searching his pockets for a cigarette while he explained, "So, you two get stretching and ready. Larxene we're going to need you to fix up a costume for the newbie. Zexion go back to the train and tell Marluxia he needs to arrange special lighting for a new act, don't give him details or he'll spaz, just bring him here. Demyx you and I are spotting for today. The rest of you get practicing. Xigbar you and Axel need to get your duo act concrete by tonight or it's not running. Any questions?" There were none and everyone quickly set to work. Riku finally found his cigarettes in one of the many pockets in his pants and when he started to light it he noticed Sora was eyeing him oddly, "What?"

"Did you stop to breathe once during that rant?" Sora asked, sounding quite impressed.

"Nope," he answered and they both laughed and set to work. The circus was clockwork really, everything happened routinely and in a set time frame. They took their orders and within minutes they were all working on their own task. Roxas and Sora stretched while the other circies practiced and Demyx and Riku started planning out the act.

"So, ever think you'd be doing this?" Roxas asked as he sat down on the floor and stretched out to touch his toes.

Sora wasn't moving much, just observing really, "Please, watching them was hard enough," he said with a bit of a laugh.

"It'll be fun!" Roxas exclaimed.

Sora nodded, "Yeah, but you'll be doing it by yourself after this month too."

"What? You think I can't do it?" Roxas asked, sounding insulted.

"I should hope you can," Sora said before adding, "And your boyfriend is staring."

Roxas looked over at Axel and saw Sora was right. Xigbar was talking to him about their act but Axel was too busy staring at Roxas to listen and when Roxas looked over he smiled and waved. "He's nervous," Roxas said with a grin, "He won't admit it though."

"He should be nervous, if you fall it's splat for you," Sora said, staring up at the wires which were about even with their shoulders. Roxas wasn't worried though, Riku and Demyx were spotting and he trusted them both, it was Sora he was worried about. His trust for the circies was limited and he assumed that was why Riku was staying with them.

"And if you don't start stretching it's splat for you too," Demyx said, they'd overheard the conversation and had noted Sora wasn't moving, "Gotta warm up your muscles, like Roxy's doing," Demyx said as he came over to demonstrate. Sora wasn't interested though and it wasn't until Riku pushed him over that he even sat down.

He landed on his butt and before he could protest Riku put a hand on the back of his head and pushed him down. Sora's flexibility was obviously limited because not even halfway down he yelped and Riku stopped, "Well that's not good," he sighed, surprised he couldn't go past that. Demyx felt like showing off and sat down as well and leaned all the way down until his nose touched his knees and his hands were still holding his feet. Roxas couldn't do that either but he could still go quite further than his brother.

"We'll have to work on that," Riku said, laughing a bit funny at his limited flexibility and the annoyed look on his face.

"I'm going to kill you if you don't let go," Sora threatened, glaring at him out of the corner of his eye and Riku let go and pulled him to his feet. "Suit yourself. Ready Demyx?" Riku asked and Demyx sprung to his feet and hurried over to the tightropes, springing up and using Riku's hands to springboard up onto one.

Demyx swayed and quickly tried to get his balance, but it was obvious this wasn't his field of talent. He still had enough balance to get a basic routine done. Roxas and Sora watched him demonstrate how to walk and change wires, and he kept it very basic and easy to follow. Then it was their turn and Demyx was going to spot them on the wire while Riku spotted from the ground. Since neither one of the boys could spring up like Demyx had, Riku found a ladder for them to climb up and step onto the wire from there.

Roxas went first but as soon as he stepped off the ladder and onto the wire he realized it wasn't nearly as easy as Demyx made it look. Demyx took his hands and tried to help steady him but before he could even take a step he fell over and Riku caught him. Sora did the same and they continued along this track for over an hour and Lexaeus finally had to step in for Riku, whom was getting worn out by catching them every 5 seconds.

Sora fell again and Lexaeus caught him and put him down. He was tired and sick of falling and he looked over at Riku who was lying on the ground resting and watching, "Can we stop now?" he asked.

Riku shook his head though, "Nope, gotta make it at least 5 steps like your brother."

"Come on, we've been doing this all day," Sora whined, going over to annoy him.

"You've been doing this for 3 hours, that's all," Riku told him, looking at the pocket watch he'd been spinning rather bored. Sora realized he wasn't going to win and he scowled a little before going back over and up the ladder. Riku watched him go and grinned before shutting his eyes to get some more rest.

Sora got onto the wire and focused this time, making it further than 5 steps, and Demyx continued to back up and Lexaeus stopped following him because it looked like he had a good idea of what he was doing. He stopped though when he was level with Riku and jumped off of the wire, landing with a foot on either side of his head. It obviously scared him because he jumped and opened his eyes, looking up at him and realizing how far he'd gotten.

"We stop now," Sora insisted and Riku smiled a little and nodded, "Take a break everyone!" he announced and the circies all flopped over to rest, even Sora who just sat straight back and landed on Riku's chest with a heavy sigh.

Riku wheezed a little when he landed on him but wasn't that bothered, "So, you can go as far as you want?"

"Nope, you just annoyed me and I wanted to scare you," Sora said with a grin and Riku laughed and pushed him off of his chest so he could sit up. Roxas was coming over to join them but before he could Axel ran up behind him and swept him up off of his feet and spun him, "Roxy you're doing so well!" he said, proud beyond proud by what he'd accomplished.

Roxas laughed and hugged him, "It's not as easy as it looks."

"Somebody catch me!"

They all looked up to see Demyx jump off the tightrope, and the next second he landed on Axel's back and all three of them fell flat on the ground. Larxene had just come out from the backroom and saw them; Roxas pinned under Axel and Demyx on top of Axel, "...Well that's an odd threesome," she said, not seeming too surprised though. Demyx laughed and got off of them and hurried over to her instead to have fun during their break, Axel however didn't get off of Roxas and he whispered something to him that made him giggle and turn red.

"Hey! No sex in the Big Top!" Xigbar scolded from afar.

"Too late to make that rule," Riku snorted and Sora thwacked him over the head, "What was that for?!" Sora said nothing but he crossed his arms and gave him a scolding look, making his point clear. "Not me," Riku sighed, catching on to what he meant, "Larxene and some guy back in Agrabah fooled around up in catwalk."

Sora seemed to be put at ease with that and smiled a little, hoping he wasn't mad. Riku stuck his tongue out at him and Sora pushed it back in before leaning against him tiredly. As soon as he did this though Riku looked around to see if anyone was watching, but everyone else seemed preoccupied with their own conversations…and then Kairi walked in, baby Kadaj in her arms. She saw Riku put his head against Sora's and take his hand, and as soon as she saw that she froze and looked like someone had just slapped her in the face with a fish.

She came right over and grabbed Riku by the dog collar around his neck, pulling him up to his feet and handing Kadaj to Sora before dragging him towards the back room. Sora watched them go then looked at Kadaj who just stared at him with big baby eyes for a few seconds before sticking his tongue out at him. Sora rolled his eyes, Kadaj wasn't Riku's child but he certainly acted like it.

Kairi pulled Riku into the back room and shut the door behind them before smiling and asking, "You and Sora?"

"Things that argue. Things that annoy Xigbar. Thing that you dated. Things that—"

Kairi cut him off, "No games!" she laughed and he did too, "Spill!"

"Nothing to spill," Riku told her but she didn't believe it.

"Bull," she scoffed, "You like him!" When Riku just grinned she knew she was right but was curious, "I'm not wearing a bra," and when he looked at her chest she laughed, "So you're bi."

"That was mean!" Riku said, crossing his arms and not amused by her trick.

Kairi however was so entertained she couldn't stop grinning, "Do the others know yet?"

"Know what? That you're mean?" Riku asked.

Kairi took that as a no and quickly hugged him, "Right, I'll take that as a no…So how's the sex?"

The question was the last thing he expected though, "Excuse me?"

"No sex yet? Well which one of you is going to top?" she continued on her questioning despite Riku's shock still.

He finally grabbed her by the shoulders and held her still, "Hey Kairi…Shut up."

She held still but wouldn't stop grinning, "It's cute though."

"So are bunnies but you don't go up and ask them how the sex is," now that comment made him think, "…Even though bunnies multiply faster than humans so that must mean bunnies have sex faster than human…and bunnies aren't gay…"

"Bi!" Kairi corrected.

"Forget the bunnies," Riku said, baffled yet curious about the bunny philosophy though.

Kairi laughed, realizing he was still thinking about it and so she said, "Great. Two guys I went out with are now going out with each other and one of them is intrigued by bunny sex."

"Kinky sort of relationship isn't it?" Riku laughed, "Most girls would be insulted."

"Most girls," she highlighted that with a grin, "But I'm not sure if I trust my son with Sora anymore so I'm going to go save him now."

"Good," he said, obviously needing a break from her and he went over and flopped back onto the couches.

"One more question!"

He sighed and sat up to see what she wanted, realizing the grin on her face wasn't good. "Which one of you is the uke?" Riku just gave her a look that said it all and she nodded, "Right, Sora is the girl in this! Thought so! Bye!" Riku watched her go before flopping back down with a bit of a laugh at how much energy she had for a relationship that wasn't even hers.

Barely two minutes later the door opened again and Sora came stomping in, "You told Kairi I was the girl?!"

"Stop yelling, I've got a head ache," Riku said, not bothering to get up.

Sora came over and leaned over the back of the couch, "Why am I the uke?"

"Because you're cute and cuddly," Riku said shortly, still not getting up though wishing he'd stop yelling.

"Cute and cuddly?" he demanded, knowing he hadn't heard him right.

Riku laughed a bit, "See? Even when you're mad it's cute."

Sora opened his mouth to argue but Riku sat up and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him over the back of the couch and rolled over to push him down into the cushions. Sora wasn't sure what to say and he just stared up at him, surprised at how quickly it had happened. Riku grinned though and leaned his face down to his, "Don't get mad."

Sora said nothing and Riku kissed him on the lips once and Sora relaxed but still didn't say anything. He kissed down his neck and Sora tilted his head to allow him further access, sighing contentedly even if he hadn't meant to. Riku nuzzled his neck and Sora smiled a little, realizing he was right, "Don't call me the girl," he said, "Uke sounds nicer." He liked the attention, being dominated and receiving affection that was his and his alone; it felt right this way with Riku in control.

Riku smiled and kissed his lips again briefly before sitting up, "Told you."

Sora laughed and sat up as well, "Don't brag or you'll never get to fully exercise your seme privileges."

"Was that an offer?" Riku asked, a bit surprised but Sora just grinned and got off the couch saying, "Come on, I think break is over by now."

* * *

And there you have it! Now I can explain the chapter title! Roxas and Sora **belong** on the tightrope and Sora **belong**'s under Riku XD ah…well I must be off now, much to do before I can fully enjoy my break and I've also got reviews from the last couple chapters to reply to so be expecting replies over then next couple days. Also, speaking of reviews, please review you guys! There are some of you who've been reviewing for every chapter and there are some of you who reviewed once and no matter how many times you review I love you all so much I can't stand it! Millions of hugs and love goes to you all who read and more hugs to those who review and I ask you continue to review and tell me what you thought! Without you guys this story would be nothing! Expect an update soon and also keep an eye out for the new story later today! I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	22. The Show Must Go On

Haha! I love Spring break. I think I've gotten more sleep this week than I have the entire school year so far. Also this time has allowed me to get another chapter done! Woo! Wow, this story is getting long eh? I usually don't carry on like this but I just love this story so much and all sorts of ideas keep popping into my head. Is the end near? Who knows!...I do!...At least I think I do XD Anyways, for now you'll just have to read this chapter and enjoy.

Also I've posted a new story! Some of you have found it and others have emailed me saying you couldn't get to it because the site kept saying 'story not found' but now everything is working fine so you should all go take a look! AkuRoku-ness and pirates! Woo! Only one chapter done so far but I'll have another up before break is over…hopefully.

Anyways, the contest polling is done and the theme for **the contest is A. "'Tis the Season" (Holiday time for the circies!! Any holiday! EX: St. Patrick's Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, etc.)** So let loose everyone and draw the circies enjoying/hating/sleeping through/prepping for or whatever you want for the holiday of your choice. Entries can be submitted by emailing me with the link (My email address is on my profile) or going to DA and sending it in a note there (My DA is my homepage and linked through my profile) or sending me an IM through MSN messenger (gypsyUNDERSCOREpanda and that's at hotmail. Can't write the full address out or it would get broken by this site) Last time when entries were submitted through reviews of PM's the links were broken because this site doesn't like links apparently, so I encourage you guys to use one of the three other options.

Right! Enough ranting! I've got a dance class to get to so I'm cutting this short and turning you guys loose! Enjoy!

**SIDENOTE!!! **There's another song used in this chapter that I do not own in any way, shape, or form! It's 'The Show Must Go On' and while it was originally performed by someone else I like the way it was handled in Moulin Rouge better so think of this song in that rendition please!...Yes, it's another Moulin Rouge song, so sue me (please don't!) the music fits!

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**The Show Must Go On**

"Push harder!"

"Damn, you're really getting into this!"

"It's you're fault! Ah! That hurts!"

"You said harder!"

Now from a person who'd just walked into the Big Top blind but heard their voices, they'd have a very naughty yet possibly very kinky image of what Riku and Sora were doing. And upon first glance too it would even look inappropriate. They were both on the floor and Sora had his legs up on Riku's shoulders and Riku was leaning over him. It was just a stretch though designed to stretch the thigh muscles and all the circies were familiar with it so none of them were bothered by the scene nor did they think there was anything going on between them.

It had been a week and a half since the tightrope act was established and Roxas and Sora were getting closer and closer to reaching their debut. The web had gone up to the halfway point between the ceiling and the floor and the safety net was in place since the circies wouldn't be able to catch them if they fell at that height. And fall they did, several times but they'd gotten better and better.

"Come on, just relax and it'll be easier," Riku assured him. Sora had been pushing himself to get the act solid and his enthusiasm was really putting him on good terms with the circies.

"Oh! Riku I thought you said no sex in the Big Top!" Demyx teased as he skipped past them.

"Shut up Demyx," Sora laughed but he was quieted when Riku's hand moved slid his hand further down his leg and he gave him a look that said enough. He looked around to make sure the other circies weren't watching before reaching up and grabbing the collar around Riku's neck, pulling himself up to kiss his lips. It only lasted a minute before he let go and lied back. Riku laughed and shook his head, "You know, I think that's the farthest you've stretched."

"Well I've got to get better if I'm going to come with you guys," Sora said with a grin.

As soon as he said that though Riku went from amused to confused, "Excuse me?"

"Riku!"

They both heard Axel's call but Riku was still rather engulfed in what Sora had just said. Sora didn't see the problem though and he was still grinning, "Axel's calling, go see what he wants," he said but when Riku still didn't move he laughed and added, "Go! I'll still be here when you're done."

Riku got up and left, still bothered and Axel must not have noticed because he was still very excited as he explained what he needed, "Watch! We've got it! It's ready and it can run tomorrow night! Guarantee!" he said, gesturing to him and Xigbar. Their duo act was still not perfected and due to it's danger level Riku wouldn't let them run it, the two had been practicing non-stop though trying to get things down. Riku sat down to watch, and he didn't stop them once through the run.

"Well?" Axel and Xigbar came up to him as soon as they finished, eager to hear what he had to say, very sure it would be and 'okay, you can run the act tomorrow night.' But their bubble was burst when he stood up and said, "It's too risky, scrap it." He started to leave but they both followed him, determined to get the approval they needed.

"Too risky? You've got to be kidding!" Axel whined, following him off the bleachers and towards the exit, Xigbar hot on their heels, "We've got it! We know what we're doing!"

"I said scrap it," Riku said, stopping and turning on them, "It's too risky and someone is going to get hurt."

"The audience would love it!" Xigbar insisted, practically itching to show off their new act.

Riku shook his head though, "The audience doesn't know what you're going to do! If one of you gets hurt they'll think it's just part of the act and wont know you're in trouble!"

Xigbar and Axel exchanged a look though before Xigbar crossed his arms and said what they were both thinking, "This isn't about the act at all is it?"

Riku wasn't sure what they were talking about and Axel grabbed him and pulled him out of the Big Top, Xigbar grabbing his other arm and helping. They dragged him over to a stack of cargo and pushed him down onto a crate, Axel asking first, "What's wrong with it?"

"I told you, it's too risky," Riku said, annoyed by their actions.

"What? Our act or your relationship?" Xigbar asked.

Riku jumped when he heard that and glared at Axel, "He knows?"

"I do now," Xigbar said with a triumphant grin.

Riku sighed and they both laughed, "You know, if this keeps up we'll have to throw you a coming out party," Axel teased, "So? What's wrong?"

"…He thinks he's coming with us," Riku said shortly.

"Well you said it was his choice whether or not he comes," Axel reminded him.

Riku nodded but it was obvious he didn't agree with what he'd said, "…Yeah but…I never thought he'd want to."

"Oi…You need commitment therapy," Xigbar scolded.

Axel agreed, "Definitely…Well, do you want him to come?" When Riku didn't answer Xigbar patted him on the head, "Want us to take over for the rest of the day?" he offered and Riku shook his head, he needed to figure things out but he couldn't avoid his problems.

"Can we run the act?" Axel asked, sounding hopeful though practically begging.

"Sure. But if you get shot then don't cry to me," Riku said and they laughed before heading back for the Big Top. While Xigbar and Axel celebrated their approval Riku headed back to watch over the tightrope act. Sora smiled and left his brother's side to come join him, "What did they want?"

"Just some input on their act," Riku said with a smile, but it was empty and bothered Sora. Before he could ask if something was wrong though Larxene came springing over to them, "Up you go boys, lots of work to do today!" she said giddily, grabbing the brothers and pulling them over to the ladder on the side of the support beams that would take them up to the wires. And as soon as they were gone so was Riku.

* * *

Since there was no show that night Larxene and Demyx were more than eager to work Roxas and Sora into the late hours…however when it started raining after the sun went down Axel immediately felt the effects and Roxas cut his practice short to take care of his sick lover. Since there was no sense in working on a duo act with only half the duo Larxene and Demyx let Sora go too. He followed his brother and Axel back to the train, wondering why Riku had left so early in the day. He was convinced that he was doing something of the utmost importance that couldn't wait until after practice…but when he opened the door and saw him sleeping in bed, stretched out comfortably on his stomach and hugging the pillow to his head he was anything but amused.

He was about to wake him up when he stopped, spotting the notebook sticking out from under his pillow, still held in one hand. Now he knew Riku was a deep sleeper and knew it would be easy to take it from him but he felt bad about doing it. If he had it out and had been writing then that meant that something was bothering him, and if he took it and read it he'd be snooping through something Riku possibly didn't want to talk about. His curiosity got the better of him though and he carefully pulled it out, shrieking when Riku grabbed his wrist and pulled him down into bed.

"Rotten snoop," Riku said groggily.

Sora laughed sheepishly and let go of the notebook, "I was just going to put it away for you."

"Liar," Riku mumbled, smiling a little.

Sora nodded in agreement and hugged him with a grin, "Why'd you leave?" Riku didn't answer and Sora was a bit bothered by that so he pulled back and looked at him concernedly, "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer right away, thinking about how to say this, "…Why do you want to come with us?" Sora was obviously confused and Riku said, "Just tell me…You've got so much going on here and I've got nothing to offer you, so why do you want to come with us." Sora didn't know the answer to that and it must have shown because Riku just smirked and said, "See?" he leaned in and kissed Sora's forehead before adding, "This is where you belong, not with us."

Finally Sora did say something and it wasn't what Riku expected, "You jerk!" Sora said, sitting up and getting out of bed, "I spent weeks with you thinking you cared, that you actually cared, and you think I'm doing it for kicks?!" To say the least Riku was shocked by the outburst and Sora scowled, "If I wasn't serious about this do you really think I would have stuck around or even considered going with you guys?!"

Riku was at a loss for words. It was obvious Sora was hurt and Riku felt horrible. "…Just tell me," Sora said, a noticeable shake in his voice, "Do you want me to come?"

There was no immediate answer and Riku sat up and put his hands on the side of Sora's face to pull him into a short kiss before saying, "No." Sora said nothing and he couldn't look at him either. He started to pull away but Riku put his head against his and held onto his shoulders, "I'd like you to…but I can't let you."

Sora was confused, "Why?"

"Because," Riku said and Sora drew back and looked at him, figuring this was all just crude sarcasm but he was surprised to see he was being serious, "You're going to be an ambassador, I'm going to be a world hopping circie."

"…I could be a world hopping circie too though," Sora said, "Could you love me then?"

Riku just stared at him, and he started to say something but instead laughed, "Love?" Now that was a new word and it obviously didn't set comfortably with either of them and was just a suggestion, "Well…It's possible," Riku said, not ruling it out but definitely not thinking about it right now, "But could you live with yourself if you gave all you have up?"

"I'd still have you," Sora said with a smile. When Riku smiled he knew everything was better and he threw his arms around him, gladly welcoming a kiss. "It wont be anything you can get sick of halfway through and go home during," Riku warned him while drawing back abruptly with a grin, knowing it bothered Sora, who immediately leaned back in to continue the kiss.

"I don't care," Sora muttered against his lips, allowing him to pull him back into bed.

"You'll have to put up with my morning bitchyness everyday," Riku interrupted again just to annoy him and Sora sighed before saying, "I don't care," and leaning up for more.

"And-" but Riku didn't get to say anything else because Sora bit his lip and glared at him as if daring him to interrupt again. Riku pushed him back against the headboard and laughed at the look on his face, "Psh, when you're horny you're a bigger brat than usual, why not skip the biting and drop your pants now." Sora looked at him, turning several shades of pink but Riku just laughed a bit more and kissed his forehead, "Kidding."

Sora smiled a little and after a few more kisses he said, "…I could."

It was more than obvious what his offer was and Riku just stared at him for a few minutes, "You could…" he said with a smirk, nodding a bit but he was curious about whether or not he and Sora were thinking about the same thing.

It was made clear that they were where Sora said, "Well…we could." Barely minutes later though they were forced to stop when the door opened and Demyx came scurrying in, shutting it behind him. Riku quickly got off of Sora, who started to protest but silenced when he saw Demyx and joined Riku in pretending to be sleeping. Demyx climbed over the couch at the foot of the bed and under the blanket before getting comfortable between them, "Riku?" he said, hugging onto him snugly.

"What Demyx?" Riku sighed, annoyed by the interruption but glad Demyx hadn't caught onto what had been going on. That's when Riku realized something, it was storming. Demyx always came to snuggle down with someone when it was storming this badly because he feared this weather. Demyx didn't answer and Riku hugged him, "It's okay, you can stay." Sora gave him a look and Riku smiled, enjoying making him wait. Demyx was part of his family though and family came first for the circies.

After a few minutes Sora gave up the annoyed look when he realized why Demyx was here. He sat and looked over Demyx's head at Riku with a bit of a smile, as if to let him know he didn't mind. It was also enough to assure him that everything was okay and Riku took hold of his hand without disturbing Demyx. Sora lied back down and held onto his hand with a pleased smile; he'd have to wait. After all, Riku wasn't going anywhere…at least not until the end of the month, and even then Sora was going with him.

* * *

"This is the best night ever!" Demyx squealed as he came bouncing into the back room, "Just got a headcount from Vexen and guess what?"

"Sold out the house?" Luxord answered and Demyx whined, "How'd you know?"

"Because we've sold out the house for every show this week," Larxene laughed a bit, enjoying their rise of fame in this world.

Xigbar laughed and shook his head, "And to think, just last year they were all afraid of us."

"I think some of them still are, they just come because we're awesome," Larxene boasted while jumping over the back of the couch and literally tackling Luxord.

"Hey, don't break him or we'll be one act short," Kairi said as she watched him hit the floor rather hard but Luxord only laughed. Circies were used to rough housing and unless something got broken they didn't really mind.

The alarm on the clock in the corner went off and all the circies cheered and hurried for the door, eager to get the show started. As they were leaving though Riku noticed two circies were absent and he sighed and headed for the door leading outside of the Big Top, "Hey! Save it for the after party, it's show time!" he hissed, looking over at Axel and Roxas sitting and sharing sweet kisses on the crates of booze.

Roxas looked up embarrassedly but Axel just stuck his tongue out at him, "Fun killer," he teased before getting up and following Roxas back inside. Riku shut the door behind him, "I swear Axel, one of these days testosterone is going to get you into serious trouble," he muttered, pulling on his hat and grabbing Roxas' wrist to pull him out ahead of the others so they could get the show going.

* * *

"This is the worst night ever!" whined Demyx and all the circies mumbled some sort of agreement. For some reason everything that could go wrong was going wrong. Riku's immune system decided it would be fun to give him a fever of 103 halfway into the opening and he nearly collapsed. Larxene knocked Demyx in the crotch during their trapeze act so hard they had to cut the performance short and carry him off when the lights were out. Luxord had the misfortune of getting electrocuted by a frayed lighting wire in the floor, making all the cards lose control and be lost in the audience; whom thought it was a part of the act and when the lights went out afterwards from the sharp discharge of electricity they all applauded. Kairi was the only one of them who'd had a non-faulty act thus far and there were still 3 more to go after intermission.

"Alright, who said the Scottish play?" Xigbar demanded loudly.

Nobody said anything but Roxas asked, "The Scottish play?"

Everyone looked at him oddly, "You do know the Scottish play, right?" Demyx asked, readjusting the bag of ice on his sore crotch.

When Roxas didn't answer Luxord stood up, his right leg was still numb though and he ended up slumping back down onto the couch. "The play about the Scottish king?" Luxord said, wondering if that was enough to bring Roxas up to par.

Roxas thought but it wasn't until Kairi sighed and spelt, "M-A-C…"

"Oh! Macbeth?" Roxas asked and immediately all the circies jumped him and covered his mouth.

"Never say that!!!!!" Larxene screeched.

Roxas was confused and Axel quickly explained, "Whenever you say that something really bad happens during a show. Say it enough and someone dies."

"It supposedly only pertains to theater but, speaking from experience, it affects the circus too," Riku said with a sigh, slumping back over onto the couch. He felt miserable and was burning up from the fever so he'd shed his jacket and vest and pushed his sleeves up to try and cool down, "And if this was just bad luck to begin with, now that you've said it we've got to be very careful for the rest of the night."

I'm sorry," Roxas quickly apologized, not realizing the severity of what he'd said and the circies understood…though it was obvious they were all a little frazzled. When the lights in the room flashed minutes later they all took a breath and made hopes that nothing bad happened before getting ready to start. Riku and Roxas had to open the second half of the show with another song that would lead into another routine between Larxene and Demyx showing off their acrobatics again, followed by Axel and Xigbar's duo act, and then one group act followed by the closing number.

The opening was spot on and the audience suspected nothing was wrong at all, however as soon as the pair got off the floor Riku collapsed. They couldn't let the audience know anything was wrong though so Larxene and Demyx hurried out to do their act while Xigbar picked Riku up and took him outside to cool down. "104.6 degrees," Axel mumbled, putting a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, "I told him to sit out the opening," Axel huffed.

"Stubborn," Luxord scoffed as he took off his hat, jacket, shirt, and vest, trying to cool him down.

"Obviously," Axel sighed, sitting down on the ground and hugging him to his chest to try and take the edge off the fever…plus he was worried. Luxord went back in to get some ice and Xigbar followed, though they stopped at the entrance to the main floor just to make sure neither Demyx nor Larxene had died yet.

"You look miserable," Axel teased with a laugh when Riku stirred and started to sit up.

When he realized where he was though he sighed and leaned back against him again, "I feel it too."

It took a lot to get Riku to admit he wasn't feeling well and Axel worried all the more when he heard that, "Well when bad luck hits it hits hard I guess."

"You don't say," Riku said sarcastically, "At least it wasn't as hard as Demyx got hit. I'm surprised he's walking."

"Stop talking," Axel said, rolling his eyes, "Just rest and get better okay?" Riku nodded and sighed before shutting his eyes to sleep. Several minutes passed and Riku was disappointed when Axel let go of him and got up, "I gotta get going. You said Xigbar and I could run the duo act tonight so there's no way I'm missing this." Riku nodded tiredly, leaning back against the crate of booze and waving him away. Shortly after Axel left, Luxord came back with a bag of ice, "…That isn't the one Demyx was holding against his balls was it?"

"Please, do you think I'd be so cruel?" Luxord said with a grin but the look he got made it clear Riku was thinking 'ofcourse you would' and he laughed before assuring him, "Relax, it's not." Riku leaned back again and put the ice on his head with a sigh, feeling better with it on.

"So, who's the hickey from?"

When Luxord asked that Riku gave him a confused look then realized he was pointing to a little bruise on his collar bone that he hadn't even noticed was there before now. Since he hadn't been with anyone other than Sora lately who could have done that Riku realized Sora must have decided to have some fun while he slept. "Why ask something you obviously know the answer to already?" Riku asked, noticing the catty grin on Luxord's face that made his theory clear.

"Because it's so much fun to hear you say it," Luxord said, laughing a bit.

"Thank you for understanding," Riku sighed and Luxord laughed more before leaving him to rest. There was definitely some force at work that was doing all it could to make sure he didn't get to rest, because barely 5 minutes later he felt a drop of water land on his shoulder, then another, followed by several more at a growing speed, "…Stupid rain," he hissed, glaring up at the storm clouds before grabbing his shirt and pulling it on. His senses reacted very slowly to what he's just said, "…Rain?...Shit." He cursed the weather and hurried back inside.

"Roxas! It's raining," he said, spotting the blonde first. Roxas immediately understood and quickly looked back out at the duo act that was going on, both circies oblivious to the change in weather.

"What should we do?" Roxas asked, looking back to him. Riku was already on the phone though with Marluxia, instructing him to cut the act immediately. They didn't realize the warning within the lights though and didn't stop the act. Axel was becoming aware of the problem though and before he could digest what it meant his fires faded and kept him from jumping to another flame when Xigbar fired.

In less than a second Axel was on his knees, his breath gone and a fierce pain burning through him. "Marluxia! Cut it now!" Riku shouted into the phone and immediately all the lights went out. Roxas and Riku hurried out in the dark to help Xigbar get Axel off the floor. The audience's applause and cheers at the performance drowned out Axel's gasps of pain and Roxas was at a loss for words. How could they be so oblivious? Axel had just been shot and they saw it as part of the act…how? He was bleeding and they were cheering. Riku had once told him there was a wall between the performers and the audience and it remained concrete even when everything goes wrong. Tonight everything had gone wrong and the wall was still there.

They carried Axel off the floor and the other circies were waiting in the back room. The din in the room was enormous but Roxas couldn't hear any of them, he just held onto Axel's hand as tight as he could, his heart twisting with every sign or sound of pain his lover made.

"Everybody SHUT UP!!!" Riku shouted over the noise and the circies hushed except for Axel, "Demyx go hotwire a car I don't care which one just make sure there's room in the back. Larxene tie something around that, something, anything! Luxord you and Kairi have to take him to the hospital as soon as the car is ready, one of you drive the other keep him awake. Understood?!" Everyone immediately set to work and Riku grabbed Roxas by the wrist and started to pull him away but Roxas refused to budge.

"Roxas let go," he ordered but Roxas shook his head firmly, "He'll be fine, the show must go on!"

"Screw the show!" Roxas yelled, "He's hurt, don't you get it?!"

"Ofcourse I do! Don't you dare think you're the only one who cares about him!" Riku snarled in a way that scared Roxas. He was mad, genuinely mad, and this was definitely a first.

"Roxy."

Roxas quickly looked down at Axel as Larxene tied a towel around the wound in his chest tightly, "…Go with Riku…The show must go on…" as if he wasn't weak enough with the rain, the rapid loss of blood was making him even worse.

"Don't die Axel," Roxas choked out, his eyes stung with tears and he couldn't let go, "Axel please don't die."

"I won't Roxy, I wont," he slurred a bit and squeezed his hand, trying to assure him everything was okay.

"Roxas…" Riku repeated, waiting for him to let go. After a shaky breath Roxas complied and let go of Axel's hand before heading for the door. Riku took off his hat and pulled of the ace of hearts card stuck into it. He kissed it once then handed it to Axel whom smirked a little and took it before he left with Roxas, shutting the door behind them.

Roxas couldn't look back though he wanted to; he knew if he looked back he'd run back to Axel and cling to him again. He couldn't though. Axel needed help and he wanted him to go with Riku, to make sure the show went on.

"…What do we do?" Roxas asked as he tried to compose himself on their way back to the floor.

"What are you feeling?" Roxas didn't answer his question, he couldn't because he knew the knot in his throat would come undone if he said anything. Riku understood though and said, in a tone much different than he'd used earlier, "Sing that."

"Another hero. Another mindless crime.

Behind the curtain, in the pantomime…"

Riku started and Roxas tried to follow and pick up something as the lights came up in a red that would mask the blood on the floor. All Roxas could do was stare at the audience, oblivious to everything with their cheery faces and bright eyes.

"…_On and on…_

_Does anybody know,_

_What we are living for?"_

Roxas asked, looking for an answer. But they didn't know. Nobody knew. Riku gave him the answer though:

"Whatever happens…

_We leave it all to chance._

_Another heartache,_

_Another failed romance."_

Roxas realized in this song he was talking to Riku, not singing to the audience. They both were relieved to hear the piano begin to play, letting them know Demyx was here and he'd finished getting the car ready. Roxas looked over at Demyx, surprised when he too joined in with him and Riku as they sang.

"_On and on…_

_Does anybody know,_

_What we are living for?"_

Roxas had to stop, his chest hurt and his eyes stung to the point they blurred his thoughts and he didn't know what to say next. Riku saw this though and went ahead for him, repeating what all the circies knew:

"_The show must go on!_

_The show must go on…_

_Outside the dawn is breaking,_

_On the stage that holds,_

_Our final destiny."_

Roxas realized the other circies had come out by now as well, their emotions masked to keep the audience from worrying. The hurried out and found their own section of the audience to sing to, repeating what they all knew:

"_The show must go on!_

_The show must go on!"_

Roxas knew they were right and choking back his sadness he sang just what Riku told him to, what he was feeling, and the other circies silenced when he started:

"_Inside my heart is breaking._

_My makeup may be flaking._

_But my smile still stays on."_

It was a hard truth to accept. Things like this happened during the performing life and all you could do was follow what the circies all knew:

"_The show must go on!_

_The show must go on!"_

Roxas took a deep breath before taking over again, trying to fall into sync with them but he couldn't clear his mind. He just kept seeing Axel lying on the floor bleeding, doubled over in pain. For all he knew Axel could be dying and here he was singing, trying to pretend like nothing was wrong; they all were, and that's what Axel wanted. He knew the show must go on, and Roxas tried to accept that:

"_I'll top the bill._

_I'll earn the kill._

_I have to find the will to carry,_

_On with the,"_

Riku nodded and joined him, helping to hide the shaky edge to Roxas' voice,

"_On with the,_

_On with the show!"

* * *

_

WAH!!! POOR AXEL!!!...Sorry, I've been thinking that all day as I wrote that part. Will he be okay? Only I know! Actually I don't, I haven't thought much about the next chapter yet. Reviews always help me work faster though! Please guys, let me know what you think! You're all awesome for reading and I can't thank you enough! I could try but I've got to run now, busy day of dance ahead. Bleh. Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	23. Drastic Measures

So! You guys are here to find out what happens to Axel eh? Haha! Well you'll have to wait through my notes first!

Ah!! Okay I so almost made this the last chapter! A change of heart and mind though rewrote the end of this chapter and I now have an idea for more. Not much, we all know this story is getting long and I don't want to run it into the ground by doing too much. So rest assured, there is more, just not much. So, I am so beat I really can't say much now other than I deserve a swift kick in the head for being so behind on review replies. You guys have NO idea what these past few weeks have been like. Finals, make up tests, evil Seussical…yes, I called it evil. Seuss has consumed my life and it must be using some sort of evil power to do it.

Just a reminder: the theme for the contest is **A. "'Tis the Season" (Holiday time for the circies!! Any holiday! EX: St. Patrick's Day, Chinese New Year, Valentines Day, etc.) **So let loose everyone and draw the circies enjoying/hating/sleeping through/prepping for or whatever you want for the holiday of your choice. Entries can be submitted by emailing me with the link (My email address is on my profile) or going to DA and sending it in a note there (My DA is my homepage and linked through my profile) or sending me an IM through MSN messenger (gypsyUNDERSCOREpanda and that's at hotmail. Can't write the full address out or it would get broken by this site) Last time when entries were submitted through reviews of PM's the links were broken because this site doesn't like links apparently, so I encourage you guys to use one of the three other options.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**Drastic Measures**

While the church was an area unfamiliar to the circies, the hospital was even more foreign. Sure the circies went through numerous injuries during their profession and they had to get casts and stitches on occasion, but never were they there on their own free will. Tonight though they'd all come and were silently sitting around the waiting room.

Larxene and Demyx were sitting at the little table meant for children littered with simple toys and picture books. Riku was sitting on the windowsill, his head against the cold glass in an attempt to soothe his fever. Kairi was sitting between his legs and watching the rain run down the window, baby Kadaj sleeping soundly in her arms. Xigbar sat in the chair by him, staring at the floor with his head resting in his hands while Luxord stood nearby with a hand on his shoulder. Xigbar was taking it hard and felt horrible for what had happened even though they all knew it wasn't his fault. Roxas was sitting on the floor by the door leading to the emergency room, Sora at his side with his arm around him. They hadn't bothered to change after the show and had gotten here as soon as possible, but they'd been waiting for 4 hours now.

Nobody had said anything but Roxas' occasional sniffles made it clear he was crying off and on. He would have done it more but every time he started he told himself there was no need to cry because Axel would be fine. Any minute now he'd come tumbling out of the emergency room complaining about the weather and asking how the show went…Then Roxas would second guess himself with 'what if's and he'd have trouble keeping things quiet like the rest of the circies.

His brother hugged him and Roxas quickly put his face in his shoulder with a shaky sigh. When he smelt the peppermint edge on the fabric he realized his brother was yet again wearing Riku's clothes, and he looked over at his brother's lover… boyfriend… whatever they were, he hadn't been following their relationship and that was the last thing on his mind right now. Besides the little spat that he and Riku had before Axel left for the hospital was more than enough to make Roxas stay away from him for a while.

A while finally came an hour later when a doctor finally came out in search of whoever was in charge. Since they hopped worlds the only person the doctor could really disclose any information to was whoever signed the document allowing them to be in this world and technically had authority over them, including Axel. Riku got up and followed him back to the doors but he stopped in front of Roxas and waited for him to look up before beckoning him to follow. Roxas let go of his brother and followed Riku back into the emergency room. The doctor saw him come in as well but assumed it was fine, just as long as he didn't hear their discussion. They followed him down the hall for a while before turning off into a patient room with a familiar face asleep in the bed.

Roxas immediately hurried over to his side, relieved to the point of tears when he saw he was breathing. He ignored the equipment by the bed with IV's going into his arms and the breathing mask over his mouth, just glad to see he was alive. He put a hand on his cheek, the cold skin sending a chill through him but he leaned down and kissed his forehead, "…You scared me."

He heard the door shut as Riku followed the doctor back out into the hall so they could discuss what needed to be said, leaving Roxas by Axel's side. "…I…I thought you were…" he laughed a little, "…But you're not! It's not nice to scare me…I love you Axel… I don't know what I'd do if you were gone," he said with a smile, wiping away his tears and sitting down on the side of the bed next to him.

* * *

"He's going to die."

The doctor's words hit hard and Riku felt himself go completely numb.

"We removed the bullet and sealed the wound but he's lost a lot of blood and while we're supplying him with some his body isn't accepting it, nor is it making any to replace what it's lost," the doctor explained, "We were unable to come up with an explanation for it…"

"It's the weather," Riku said under his breath, "The rain puts out his fire and fries his entire immune system…" The doctor didn't understand, unfamiliar with Axel's pyro behavior. Axel couldn't die, he wouldn't let him, none of the circies would. Riku tried to think of anything to do, but his head was blurry with the fever already and the latest bit of information the doctor had said was making him feel worse, "…How much longer does he have?"

"I estimate half a day," the doctor informed him, "I'm sorry."

Riku shook his head though and looked back through the window at Roxas and Axel. If the weather would change things would be fine…but he couldn't let something so unpredictable be the deciding factor for Axel's life, "We're taking him now."

The doctor gave him an odd look, "If I may say, he'll be better off if he stays under our care. We may still be able to—"

"To what? You just told me he was going to die," Riku cut him off, annoyed by how easily the doctor could change his diagnosis, "If you aren't positive he'll be fine in your care, then we can guarantee he will with us. Now, where do I sign him out?"

To say the least the doctor was surprised, seldom did medical authority get questioned but he took a folder out of the slot on the wall and paged through to a form before handing it to Riku, whom took his pen and signed it without even reading. "I hope you realize what you're doing…"

"I most certainly don't, but if you do want to do something useful then go get me something that will cut a fever," Riku said before going back into the room and leaving the doctor in the hall. When he saw Roxas shaking crying but smiling at the same time he realized Roxas was the first person he had to tell, "…Roxy."

Roxas looked over at him and wiped away his tears, "He's okay…" he said with a relieved laugh in his voice. When Riku didn't return the smile Roxas' faded and he looked at him, practically pleading with him to confirm what he'd just said. But all Riku said was, "We've got to get him out of here."

Roxas said nothing as Riku explained what the doctor had told him, "…So the only thing we can do is leave this world as soon as possible. He'll be fine if we can be out of here by noon tomorrow." Roxas took only a second to digest what had been said before nodding and standing up, "Let's get moving then!" he insisted, just as determined as he was to save Axel.

The circies' reaction to the news was the same as Roxas' and they all immediately set to work. They brought Axel back to the train and put him to bed just as he was waking up. He wanted Roxas to stay with him but Roxas insisted on working. They had to pack up the circus and load it all into the train before they could leave and that would take quite some time, especially with the weather working against them.

Just as dawn was cracking they got the very last crate of cargo loaded into the storage cars, everyone soaking wet and exhausted but relieved that it was done. As soon as the door was shut and locked they all ran off to rest, except for Lexaeus, who headed for the engine car to make arrangements to leave.

Riku went straight to bed, his head killing him with the fever that hadn't helped all night. When he opened his door though and saw something, or actually a lack of someone, he dismissed sleeping, "Sora?" he said, looking around the room for him. When it was clear he wasn't hiding he left to find him elsewhere. Ten minutes later though when he still couldn't be found and the engine was warming quickly he began to worry. "Roxy, have you seen your brother?" he asked, opening the door to his and Axel's room.

Roxas shook his head though, "He was here last night…He said he was going to run home and see if dad could call some people to lend us a hand though."

"Right, thanks," Riku quickly said before heading for the door out of the car, but suddenly the train lurched and started to move slowly. He said nothing though, realizing they were departing this world.

Axel, who'd been conscious for several hours now, quickly asked though, "What are you doing? Go tell him to stop the train!"

"What? Why should I do that?" Riku asked, turning back to them with a smile. It was fake though and they both knew it.

"Because someone you care about isn't here when he should be," Axel countered with a grin.

Riku shook his head though, "…He'll be fine. We need to get you out of here anyway."

Axel laughed though and shook his head, "I'm fine! Go get him!" Riku said nothing. God he wanted to go find Sora, he wanted to so bad, but he couldn't put Axel's life at risk.

"Axel's right," Roxas agreed with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't let him die."

"What are you waiting for? Fetch already!" Axel said with a grin, pulling the ace of hearts out from up his sleeve, given to him for reassurance last night by him, "By the way, I think this belongs to someone else." Riku took the card from him, staring at it for a second before smiling and hurrying off. When Axel and Roxas felt the train stop they both smiled and Roxas leaned down to kiss his lover, "You think he's going to take this seriously?"

"Ofcourse," Axel said with a bit of a laugh, "Granted commitment isn't his forte but he wouldn't be doing this if he wasn't serious."

For the first time, Riku's sense of direction didn't fail him. The car Demyx had hotwired was still on circie grounds and since it was faster than the train or foot he took it, despite having little driving knowledge. When he turned it on and he heard the sharp twang of country music on the radio he scowled and quickly turned off the radio, not about to be miserable for this. He tucked the card behind his ear before heading off towards the Eliot mansion.

The mansion was locked though, the car was gone and Sora's room was vacant. If Sora wasn't home that meant he could only be one other place, and he quickly headed back into town.

* * *

"Sora?"

Sora sat at his desk staring at the book but he couldn't focus. His mind was elsewhere, stuck on someone and he couldn't shake it…he didn't want to.

"Sora?"

When he heard his name he looked up at his Worlds Studies teacher, standing right in front of him, "Class is in session here, not up in the clouds so I suggest you get your head back down here." Some of his classmates laughed but Sora didn't care, he didn't want to be here, he didn't want any of this…what he wanted was leaving this world and probably hadn't even noticed he was gone.

"Now that we have everyone's attention, let's welcome our special guest. The ambassador of this very world, Ashton Eliot," the class applauded as their professor introduced Sora's father. The presentation he gave was incredible, discussing all sorts of issues discussed at the last world meet, and while others took notes Sora idly pretended to be listening, _'…They're gone…He's gone…I…It's better this way,'_ he told himself with a sigh. He'd been telling himself that all morning but he couldn't bring himself to believe it like he wanted to.

The door opened but the discussion carried on until the professor interrupted with, "Young man, if you don't have any purpose here then leave."

"This'll just take a second."

Sora looked up when he heard that voice, assuming he was delusional, but when he saw Riku coming back to his desk he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't have to do anything really because Riku pulled him to his feet and before he could say anything he kissed him, full on the lips.

Ignoring the noises of shock and confusion from his classmates, Sora didn't hesitate to return the kiss. As soon as he did though Riku pulled back, "Why'd you leave?"

Sora didn't answer right away, he looked around at all the chastising stares on them, "…We should talk about this outside."

"Nope, it's now or never, your choice," Riku insisted, not caring who was watching.

Sora looked around then back to him, "Riku…" but it was obvious he wasn't going to change his mind, "You guys are leaving, that means the month is sort of over."

"I want you to come though, and you want to too…For the past two weeks all you've been taking about is coming with us, so why did you leave?" he asked, honestly sounding sincere and his fever not bothering him in the least.

"I…" Sora didn't answer, instead he said, "A few nights back you asked me why I wanted to come…So, let me ask you, why do you want me to come?"

"When you asked me if I could love you what did I say?" Riku asked, ignoring his question.

Sora didn't see the relevance but answered, "You said it was possible."

"Well I know it's possible. Sora, give me a chance," Riku said turning and pointing to a girl in the desk in front of his, "I just walked right by that hottie and didn't once think about hitting on her. I don't want to! I want you to come...I just want you…"

Sora said nothing, completely ignoring the rest of the class by now and engulfed in what he'd said. He couldn't piece together a sentence so he just hugged him instead, tightly and trying to make sure he was actually here. After a few seconds of contemplation he drew back and kissed him once before saying, "…I want to go." Riku smiled and kissed him again, laughing a bit when the class around them started to applaud even after the professor tried to hush them up. He picked Sora up bridal style, making him laugh and hug onto him as they left.

"Sora?" They both stopped when they realized the ambassador was here. Riku hadn't even noticed him when he came in and Sora forgot his father was there when he saw Riku. They turned back around, Sora still in Riku's arms and they both were silent for a minute before Riku said, "…Mr. Eliot, can I have your son?" Sora snorted and tried not to laugh. It was obvious he was trying to do this right but couldn't think of something despite his improv skills.

The ambassador just stared at them before sighing, "I knew I should have wished for daughters," he said with a bit of a laugh.

"Is that a yes?" Sora asked with a grin. His little brother had pretty much broken the ice already for him by having Axel as a boyfriend, "We'll be back next year to visit."

His father shook his head with a grin, "Go on, not like you were ever home anyway," he teased and no sooner had he said it were they gone.

* * *

"Got any threes?" Luxord asked from his seat at the table.

Demyx searched his hand before grinning and shaking his head, "Go hamster!"

Xigbar sighed and pushed him over, "No Demyx, it's 'go fish.'"

"Potato carrot! Either way I don't have any threes," Demyx said. The rules of the game weren't as fun to learn as how to win. Suddenly the four circies playing cards heard the train door open down the hall leading outside open and shut quickly, followed by another with Riku's door.

"About time," Larxene said, putting her hand of cards down and getting up. They'd been stuck waiting for half an hour now and Roxas had told them they were waiting because Riku had to go sign an early departure statement with the ambassador or else they'd be prosecuted even after they left this world for failing to abide by the regulations they originally agreed to, "Took him long enough," she huffed on her way down the hall to complain to Riku. As soon as her back was turned though Demyx reached over the table and looked at her cards with a grin.

Knocking wasn't something Larxene was known for, so she didn't bother this time…though she wished she had when she saw what she saw. Sora was lying on the bed, his legs on either side Riku's waist and his shirt unbuttoned while Riku leaned over him and kissed him roughly on the mouth and Sora's hands clenched the back of his shirt. Larxene could only stare for a few seconds before silently backing out of the room and shutting the door behind her. Without a word she went back to the table in the common car and sat down, picking up her hand and staring wide-eyed at the cards.

Now the other three immediately realized she was undergoing a minor period of shock, but while Luxord and Xigbar already knew about the latest pairing, Demyx remained oblivious, "Got any queens?" he asked.

"No, but there are two down the hall," she said and immediately Luxord and Xigbar burst into laughs while Demyx and Larxene remained silent.

* * *

"You realize…Nn!...That girl, Larxene was…Ahh! Just in here," Sora said between breaths when Riku's mouth left his and his hand slid up over his chest before kissing the base of his neck.

Riku grinned though, "Oh? We should charge her." Sora laughed but it quickly turned into a whine when Riku sat up, "What are you doing?" he asked when he got off the bed.

"Locking the door," Riku said and Sora laughed before shaking his head, "Now that's romantic." Riku came back over to him as Sora was sitting up and he took hold of the sides of his face, "Sorry, there wasn't time to stop for roses so locking the door will have to do," he said, kissing his forehead.

Sora smiled though and nuzzled against his neck, "It's perfect." Okay so it might not have been perfect, but Sora couldn't have been happier, "Let's do something to celebrate," he said with a grin.

Riku caught the edge in his voice but decided to have some fun by drawing things out, "Like what?"

Sora grinned wider, "Something new," he teased, knowing what Riku was doing and he twirled a finger in his hair with a wider grin. He got what he wanted when Riku pushed him back into the bed and held him pinned to the top with his hands on his shoulders, "You sure?"

Sora scoffed though and said, "Well, you do still owe me from the other night when Demyx came in."

"True, true," Riku sighed, knowing that would be something Sora would use against him for much time to come, he didn't mind though and gladly indulged in the kiss that followed.

"It's stopped raining!!!"

The warning cry was heard too late though and Axel burst into the room, still in his pajamas but feeling incredible. The rain had just stopped as Lexaeus was starting the train and he was up and bouncing around in seconds. With no legitimate reason to leave this world though the circies would now have to stay the remainder of the month even though they'd just packed up everything in record time. While everyone was glad to see he was okay, they were ready to kill him for making them have to unpack now.

Sora was also ready to kill him when he realized he'd come in. "Hm…Guess I forgot to lock it after all," Riku said, breaking the kiss and not that bothered since he was so glad to see Axel was feeling better.

Axel realized what he'd walked in on when he saw Sora shirtless and his pants undone and pushed down with his legs around Riku's waist and sitting on his lap. Riku wasn't much better, his shirt was unbuttoned and one of his hands was down Sora's pants while the other was under and holding his bottom up. "Ah! I see you found Sora and more," Axel teased with a grin. Sora's face flushed and he wasn't sure what to make of this, horribly embarrassed and desperate for him to leave so they could continue, going absolutely insane when Riku's hand stopped teasing him.

"Axel," Riku sighed, a hint of annoyance behind the smile and Axel nodded before turning to leave, "I'll start the unpacking hell, you have fun." When he was gone Sora whined, "Nneh...Riku more!" Riku laughed a bit before leaning in and kissing his neck, making him squirm impatiently and push closer and harder against him.

The rest of the afternoon and late into the night was practically a honeymoon, and the other circies that had been oblivious of the relationship were now aware. When Riku hadn't shown up to help unpack Axel said he was busy doing something else, and Luxord made the mistake of making the remark, 'Busy doing someone else you mean.' And with that said everyone that knew something about what was going on spilt.

"Again?"

Riku laughed a bit, "You're not tired?"

"Nah…5 times is-"

"Six."

Sora thought for a moment, before 'ahh'ing, "I wasn't sure if that one counted. But no…I'm not tired," he mumbled, not about to admit he was.

Riku couldn't help but find his drowsiness cute, "Go to sleep. It's getting late anyway." Sora smiled and snuggled closer to him before sighing and trying to do as he was told. "…You never told me," Sora tiredly looked up at Riku as he lie in his arms, still and sore. Riku kissed his forehead before adding, "Why you left."

Sora smiled, tracing invisible designs on his chest, "…I was worried you weren't ready for commitment."

"Well I didn't think I was until we almost left without you," Riku laughed a bit, nuzzling his face into the brown mass of hair on his head, "You're a brat but today I realized I'd rather keep you as a brat than as a memory." Sora grinned and kissed his chest, sighing contentedly before resting his head against his shoulder, "Well, at least now I'm a world hopping circie of a brat…with you."

* * *

Haha, did you guys actually think I was going to kill Axel? Psh, not a chance…at least not in this story! Kidding! And it looks like Sora and Riku are completely patched now as well as exhausted XD I too am exhausted though so I'm going to wrap this up! Thanks guys so much for bearing with me and reading this story! Neither this story or I would be anything without you! Reviews are welcome as always and I'll do my best to get caught up! I'm getting there slowly but Mr. Schedule doesn't want to give me any time.

Hang in there guys, the next update probably wont happen in the upcoming week. State acting competitions are coming up and the qualifiers from regionals that are competing (Me and 2 others from our school) are leaving Wednesday morning and the others are coming up for fun Thursday night and we'll be there all weekend goofing off and such. I'll be doing 3 pieces somewhere in the middle of everything that's going on too. Solo musical: 'No Good Deed' (_Wicked_), duo musical: 'Tango Maureen' (_RENT._ Woo! Props to Nik and his amazing tango skills!), solo acting: a monologue from _Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead_ and a contrasting monologue from _Tom Jones_. So wish me luck and make sure you don't say the Scottish play until I get back safely! XD Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	24. Unexpected

I am a horrible person. You guys I am seriously sorry for my deadness. Seussical killed me. I've been so exhausted because of this evil show and my grades slipped because lack of time to get work done. The show ended officially a week ago and I've been playing catch up and recoup non-stop and haven't had time to write since like three nights ago. This is what I came up with. It's been bouncing around in my head for quite some time and now that I've gotten it in writing I hope it sounds okay. My proofing skills are poo along with my energy and brain currently.

I hope you guys can forgive the serious lack of update, but here are 9 pages I hope will help make up for it. I've got AP finals for the year coming up this week on Monday morning so the rest of this weekend is major cram time but I swear I'll have a new chapter up for you by next Saturday. That's one week and 23 minutes exactly! Enough time? You bet!

This is a short authors note just because I'm so dead tired right now you have no idea how hard I'm trying to stay awake. Hope you enjoy chapter 23 of the story and I thank you guys so much for the reviews of last chapter. Expect a major thank you art for breaking 400 reviews and I love you all soooo much. Seriously! Me Nothing without you.

**SIDENOTE: **The opening song for the circus this time is another musical, one most of you probably haven't heard of called 'Bat Boy.' We saw it at state and it is my newest obsession. The song is called 'Comfort and Joy' and I altered it to fit the situation, though I really really REALLY recommend you go listen to this soundtrack.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**Unexpected**

The next morning the circies were all sleeping in, all exhausted from either setting up the Big Top again or screwing their lover's brains out. Demyx was up first and he groggily rolled out of bed, his foot getting caught in the sheets and causing him to trip and take a face plant into the floor. He grumbled a tired protest, though he hadn't felt anything due to his half asleep numb state. For several minutes he just lied there, waiting to either wake up or fall back asleep and it seemed like he was going to be waking up when he began to regain feeling in his body. He didn't like what he felt though, "Why does my ass hurt…" he mumbled, slowly becoming aware of the soreness in his backside. He sat up and that was when he noticed the arm hanging off the side of the bed, attached to the body lying in bed.

Demyx stared for a few seconds before looking at himself and realizing why he felt a draft and he quickly grabbed the sheet and pulled them around him, shooting another look up at the person in his bed and his face turning the deepest shade of red possible. _'Oh shit…oh flying opossums from Spain…'_ he thought, trying to remember what had happened last night but it all came back in blurry, vague, alcohol induced flashes. "Oh god…" he said shakily, standing up and quickly getting dressed before hurrying quietly out of the room.

It was still fairly early for the circies and he hoped they were all still sleeping so he could grab something to eat and head over to the Big Top before his nights visitor woke up. He made it into the common car without even noticing Riku sitting on the couch looking dead tired. "What are you doing up?" Demyx asked. If anyone would be up at this hour he never would have expected it to be him.

"Sora. Still on this world time. Woke up. Woke me up. Went home. Getting stuff. Can't sleep. Waiting up," he groggily explained, not even looking up or taking the time to make complete sentences.

Demyx laughed a little, "You're a whipped puppy."

Riku mumbled something, reaching up and tugging on the collar around his neck, "No whips." Demyx laughed a bit more, realizing he was at least half right. His guise of being fine was apparently not a convincing as he thought because as he went into the kitchen he heard Riku ask, "What's wrong?"

"Hm? Nothing," Demyx insisted with a smile.

"Liar."

Demyx shook his head, "Am not…and even if I was then you're too tired to argue."

"I'm not too tired to bitch and moan until you give up and tell me though," Riku said, grinning when he heard Demyx come over and sit down on the couch beside him, "Well?"

"…Was it ever awkward sleeping with Axel?" Demyx finally asked, hoping it wasn't too blunt of a question.

Apparently it was because Riku quickly sat up and seemed to wake up entirely, "Beg your pardon," he stammered.

"Sex with your best friend. I mean you see each other daily right? Wasn't that awkward when you guys were just screwing around the night before?" Demyx continued.

Riku just stared at him, at a loss of words for quite some time, "I…Let me set this straight first: that was a long time ago alright? Flings for fun that meant nothing and it's all behind us now."

"So what happened last night is okay?" Demyx asked worriedly.

Riku scoffed, "Ofcourse. Sora doesn't need to know about that," he said, obviously not thinking the same thing as Demyx, "Roxas doesn't even know."

Demyx was silent for a few moments before telling him his dilemma, "I meant for me and-"

"You slept with Xigbar?!"

Demyx expected him to react that way and he shifted uncomfortably, "I think so."

"…You were drinking again weren't you?" Riku asked and Demyx nodded ashamedly. After an incident in Wonderland he'd sworn off alcohol of any kind because bad things happened when he drank. Riku didn't even need to ask if Xigbar had been drinking as well and he sighed heavily, "…Before you get any words of advice I'm going to warn you now: this had better not cause any tension for the show." That was the number one rule he had to enforce. Tensions among their family always led to misfortunes since their acts had to be so in tune. Demyx agreed with a nod and Riku said, "Well you'll have to face him."

"That's it?" Demyx asked, a bit surprised that he hadn't given him some earth shattering advice that would open up his eyes and change his life.

"Yup," he said with a nod and he quickly looked over to the door when he heard it open, grinning and getting up when he saw Sora come in with a backpack over his shoulder and a duffle bag over the other. "This all you're bringing?" Riku asked, sounding surprised as he took the bags from him.

"Psh, ofcourse not. The rest is in the cab, be a good boy and bring the rest in," Sora said with a grin, hugging him happily.

"Me? Aren't you going to help?" Riku asked, wondering what kind of excuse he had to get out of work.

Sora pulled his face closer to his, grabbing the dog collar and saying, "Nope! Because of you I'm sore so I'm going back to bed…And I'll take these and meet you there when you're all finished," he said deviously, taking the backpack from him and kissing him once before heading down the hall. Riku heard the distinct clink of something metal from the bag and he could only imagine what his little closet kink of a lover had brought with him.

"Well if you weren't a whipped puppy before you sure will be soon," Demyx snorted, enjoying watching the newest relationship in their family blossom. He huffed a sigh before flopping back onto the couch and hugging one of the pillows to his chest. He waited for Riku to come back in before asking, "He's too wasted to remember right?"

"More than likely," Riku said on his way down the hall.

"Good, then it never happened," Demyx said with a grin.

Riku laughed and shook his head, "Innocent looking rotten little tart."

"Sounds catchy doesn't it?" Demyx said, throwing the pillow at him, "What he doesn't know won't hurt us." Riku caught it and slumped back down by him and Demyx realized something, "Did he lock you out or are you just sexed out?"

"There's no such thing as sexed out Demyx, just too tired," Riku reasoned with a nod, "And he locked me out…Never thought he was such a kink."

Demyx scoffed though, "Are you complaining?" Riku merely grinned and that said more than enough.

* * *

Roxas grumbled groggily as he heard the noise of the circies waking up and talking loudly down in the common car. He wondered what was going on but didn't feel like getting out of bed, so he rolled over and pulled the blanket up over his head to drown out the noises. Under the covers though he saw the bare chest of someone he knew all too well, and he couldn't help but smile.

Axel was still sound asleep and Roxas took delight in waking him up slowly. Being careful of the bandages around his torso, Roxas traced designs on his body. Axel sighed a little but didn't wake and Roxas laughed under his breath before sitting up a little and kissing his chest.

The kiss sent a wave of vibrations of pleasure through Axel's sleeping body, waking him up gradually as Roxas' lips explored his being. He mumbled a groggy protest as he was pulled from sleep, a smile tracing across his lips when he saw Roxas. When he felt Axel's breathing level off, Roxas looked up, "Morning." Axel merely held his smile and put a hand on the back of Roxas' head to pull him down to his mouth, "Morning," he greeted before leaving a kiss on his lips.

Roxas felt himself melt into the touch, smiling against the kiss. Barely 24 hours ago he was at risk of losing the one person he loved more than life itself, "Feeling better?"

"A bit," Axel admitted, though it was obviously going to take a while for a full recovery. He seemed to be feeling well enough though as he proceeded to kiss down his lover's neck, making Roxas sigh shakily and rest limply against Axel's body. He was still exhausted after striking and rebuilding the Big Top in one day, but that was the last thing on his mind. He imagined the other circies were discussing how they were going to compensate for the dropped act. Sure each night was different but with Axel injured there were definitely restrictions on what they could and couldn't do both in the Big Top and in bed. Axel obviously realized this when he pulled Roxas on top of him and the boy's weight on his stomach caused his pleasured breaths to turn into a sharp gasp.

"I'm sorry," Roxas quickly said, getting off of him and taking his hand to try and soothe the pain.

Axel scoffed a bit, "It's fine Roxy. That's just a little rougher than what we've done before." Roxas smiled and laughed, kissing his forehead and saying, "I'll go get you some pain killers. I want to see what everyone's talking about in the common car anyway." Axel nodded and kissed his hand before Roxas got up and left him to rest for a moment.

* * *

"Morning Roxy!" Sora welcomed, the first to spot him and his good mood more than obvious with the smile. Roxas didn't need to ask why he was in such a good mood, noticing that he was sitting by Riku at the table, whom seemed very preoccupied in a diagram spread out across the table with a few assorted breakfast plates belonging to the circies scattered over it. The other circies echoed the greeting in one way or another as Roxas came over to see what they were looking at, "What's this?"

"Worlds map," Luxord explained, "Just planning where to go next."

"With Axel still not back to top health we've got to avoid rainy areas," Demyx added, picking his bowl of cereal off the diagram and revealing three more markings which Roxas assumed to be worlds on the map or milk stains.

"Paris is always nice this time of year," Larxene suggested. Ofcouse that was countered by other suggestions and reasoning, the noise of the argument making it impossible to get a thought across. Riku gave up and sat down, he had final say in their destination but this sort of ruckus happened every time they planned their departure so he'd learned to sit by on the side and referee as the others argued it out. Roxas and Sora were new to this tradition though and Sora could only put up with so much of and with a huff he reached into Riku's pocket, taking him a bit surprised but merely pulling out a coin, "Wherever it lands we go," he said before tossing it up. All the circies silenced and watched the coin fly up, pause, and make it decline back to the table. It hit the diagram and rolled around for several seconds and it looked like it was going to roll off the edge of the map but before it did the coin slowed and fell over on top of a golden colored marking. "Destiny Island it is," Riku said, very glad that was settled and before any other questions could be asked he snatched the coin and pulled the diagram out from under the breakfast plates with one quick jerk, not disturbing them even the slightest.

The circies were also glad to have things settled and they quickly returned to their prior discussion, "So what are we going to do to fill that big time slot tonight?" Xigbar asked, all of them well aware of the condition Axel was in.

"That's easy," Riku said, folding up the map and putting it down, "Roxas and Sora are going to make their debut."

"We're going to do what?" Sora's happiness immediately turned to shock to the point he accidentally pierced the toast he was buttering.

"You two have been practicing for plenty of time and you're doing fine. Having an audience watching your every move will only make you want to do perfect," Riku explained but the look on Sora's face wasn't a happy one and Riku quickly took the butter knife away from him before he could harm him.

The other circies were under the impression that this was a good idea as well though, "You're ready for this!" Demyx cheered, "The crowd always gets us into the mood."

"…This is ridiculous we haven't even practiced for a month! We've got no choreography! Are we supposed to just go out there and wing it?" Roxas asked, for once agreeing with his brother over the circies.

There was a bit of a silence and finally Riku nodded, "Yup."

Roxas should have expected that and he sat down by his brother with a sigh, "And if we mess up?"

"Then the audience won't be able to tell," Zexion reminded him, "There's a wall remember? They don't know how things are _supposed _to go. As long as they see something they've never seen before they're happy."

Sora and his brother exchanged a look, seeming to contemplate this very thoroughly, "…First circie performance…Guess it's worth a try."

* * *

"…I look ridiculous."

Sora's reaction to the costume Larxene presented to him as they prepared for the show was anything but happy. "Aw come on, you and Roxy will almost match!" she encouraged. They'd actually made two costumes for Roxas, one with gray and blue as the primaries, and the other with gray and red as the primaries and since Roxas had chosen the blue a long time ago Sora was stuck in the red. "It'll look really cool since you guys are a duo," Demyx added.

While Sora loved the lives the circies lived, he did not love the costumes they wore and he scowled at his reflection. "Since when did you have a tattoo?" Roxas asked. He had nothing to practice on the floor so he'd joined the other few in the back room.

"Last year at an after party towards the end of the month. Riku bet I was too chicken to get a tattoo," Sora explained, glancing behind him at the little band of black thorns that went down his lower back and swirled off just above his pants.

"You were so wasted, but even like that I didn't think you'd actually do it," Riku snorted from where he was sitting on the counter with Kadaj on his lap.

"And I hate you for challenging my phobias while I'm intoxicated," Sora said, trying to pull his shirt down to hide the permanent ink. Roxas grinned, recalling the thorns tattooed around Riku's wrist and hand, finding it humorous that his brother had a similar marking on him now, "Well the costume looks great and it fits. You'll get used to it quickly," Roxas insisted, heading into the closet to change into his own.

"Show starts in 30!" Kairi declared as she came practically skipping into the dressing room.

She seemed in an unusually good mood and Sora couldn't help but ask why, "What's got you so happy?"

"My parents are coming tonight," Kairi said with a squeal in her voice. The few other circies in the room shared in surprise.

"It figures. Hell freezes over our last week here," Demyx taunted.

Larxene tried to say it with a little more tact, "No offence to your parents or anything but what the hell are they thinking?"

"Well they're going out of town tomorrow so they'll miss the rest of the shows and they promised me a few months ago that they'd come watch at least one of our performances," Kairi explained while taking her son from Riku. Kadaj objected though and grabbed a handful of Riku's hair.

"Great, there goes our good name," Riku sighed, hoping that the heads of the church didn't change their minds about being wrong about them. He undid Kadaj's hold on his hair and Kairi took him back to her, "…Ah well. If they don't like us then they don't like us."

As if the great alarm clock gods were trying to emphasize the matter at hand, the alarm clock in the corner began to sound, letting them know just what Demyx declared, "Places everyone!"

On their way out Riku held Sora back by holding onto the back of his shirt, "Do yourself a favor and don't think. Just do."

Sora grinned and nodded, "Please, I've watched you guys enough to know what you're doing, let alone thinking. Nothing."

Riku laughed and kissed his cheek, "Just make sure you have fun tonight."

"Do me a favor. Remind me of that during intermission," Sora said, reminding him he wasn't even on after the opening again until his and Roxas' duo act after intermission.

"I would, but I was thinking of reminding you of something else during those 15 minutes," Riku said and Sora turned a bit red though his grin grew and he turned to kiss him.

"Remind me of what?" Sora said with a devious tone in his voice, just wanting to hear him spell it out.

Riku flicked his nose, "Of how much of a brat you are…And tell you I-"

"Riku! Come on it's show time!" Luxord interrupted, coming back in and beckoning them out.

Sora was motionless, wondering what Riku was about to tell him before they were interrupted. Seeing his anticipation and just wanting to make him wait, Riku smiled and let go of him, "Guess you'll just have to wait," he said, adjusting the body mic on his collar.

"Tell me!" Sora whined, hurrying after him but he stopped when the lights on the floor and outside in the house went out. He yelped when he felt someone grab his wrist but he melted into the familiar kiss against his lips. It was brief but Sora knew he had to get out there, so he didn't protest when he let go and left his side.

When the lights came up in their dark red all the circies were seated on the circus floor distortedly, only their silhouettes visible. There was only the strumming of a bass and electric guitar in the beginning and one quickly stood up:

_You little creeps, you're gonna pay._

_We won't be shoved out of the way! Oh no-_

The other circies echoed him:

_Oh no!_

And the standing circie kicked the sitting circie by him over:

_Oh no-_

The toppled circie grabbed his foot and pushed him away, hissing at him in an echo with the others:

_Oh no!_

Rather than attack the sitting circie, the other turned on the audience and swore viciously at them:

_And I could make a solid case_

_For smashing any filthy face._

The circie he'd kicked over stood up and came at him:

_Kill them!_

The other quickly went from angst to shock:

_Shut up!_

And the others only repeated:

_Kill him!_

Returning to angst, and ignoring the voices the standing one pushed the circie out of his way before heading back to the center:

_Shut up!_

_You used to hate but've fallen off track!_

_Pissing you off must our knack!_

_So hush up and we'll prove wrong your lie!_

_It's the one thing to do before we die!_

_WAIT!_

Immediately three spotlights came up, one on the current singer, Riku, and the other two on circies opposite of each other, sitting on the floor. Riku got a rather malicious look before continuing:

_You will see what we are,_

_We will win back our pride._

_You yourself will decide,_

_Filled with comfort and joy_

_You'll admit you were wrong,_

_And we'll return before long._

_Keep on singing a song,_

_Full of comfort and joy._

The spotlight on him went out and the two other illuminated circies came to life from their frozen state. Demyx and Roxas joining in song:

_We will show that we're not_

_What you're terrified of._

_We will show you a love_

_You can never destroy!_

_If we prove that you're wrong_

_You'll come round before long_

_And we'll all sing a song_

_Full of comfort and joy!_

They stood up and the other circies joined in singing:

_Comfort and joy! _

_Yeah! _

_Comfort and joy!_

_Comfort and Joy!

* * *

_

The hour flew by after the opening. It always felt that way during the show, and in no time they were hurrying out of the dark and towards the back room for intermission. Everything had been going so smoothly it was alarming but none of them questioned it for fear things would turn sour. Suddenly there was a ring that filled the room and all the circies immediately declared: "Cookies!" Sora was confused as he dug through his discarded day clothes for his ringing phone, "Cookies?"

"If someone's phone goes off after house opens the person whose phone rings owes the rest of us cookies," Demyx explained with a delighted grin.

Sora rolled his eyes at the tradition and opened the phone, "Hello?" The rest of the circies gabbed and rested while he was on the phone, nobody paying any attention to the conversation.

"Yes this is him…Ah…Right now? I'm kind of in the middle of…I see. Alright I'll be there as soon as possible…Bye," Sora hung up the phone and looked around for Riku to tell him the news.

"He's outside," Luxord said from the couch he was lying on.

Sora was a bit embarrassed, "Am I that obvious?" Luxord nodded and Sora grinned embarrassedly before heading out of the room. Luxord was right, Riku was outside, smoking a cigarette and absent mindedly clicking his lighter open and closed. Sora surprised him with a hug, "Hey!"

Riku jumped a bit and looked back, grinning when he saw his lover, "Hey yourself. Don't sneak up on me."

"I will if I want to," Sora insisted, hugging him again, "I've got to run into town for a few minutes okay?"

"Nope. You've got a performance right after the entr'acte," Riku insisted.

"It'll only take a minute!" Sora pried, explaining his reasons, "The college just called. The semester is ending tomorrow and there's some form I still haven't signed for release and they're going to charge me for another year if I don't go sign out tonight."

"Then go after you're act," Riku told him, "It's you're debut, you can't miss it."

"I won't, I won't! But the administrator is leaving in an hour so I've got to leave now if I want to catch him," Sora explained, "…Unless ofcourse you want to pay for a year of college I won't even be here to attend."

Riku sighed and shook his head, "Such a brat you are…Alright, get going. I'll move Luxord's act up before yours so you'll have enough time to get back…but that doesn't mean you can lag and laze on your way."

Sora smiled triumphantly and kissed him, "I win! And we'll have to finish what we were supposed to be doing now, later tonight," he said, still curious as to what Riku was going to tell him earlier.

"I'd wait forever," Riku said, nuzzling his head against Sora's.

Sora laughed though, "How can you wait forever when you can't wait 3 minutes for the microwave to finish making popcorn?"

Riku winked and kissed his forehead, "Because I like you more than microwaves."

"I feel so flattered," Sora said sarcastically, hugging him once more before letting go and hurrying up the hill, "Behave!" Riku watched him go before bringing the cigarette back up to his lips, sighing and sitting down on the crates to rest for the remainder of the intermission.

* * *

The entr'acte came and went smoothly even without Sora but halfway through Luxord's act when Sora still wasn't back tension began to arise. They stalled more by throwing in another act between Larxene and Demyx, but while the audience loved it the act helped the circies' problem little. Come the after party Sora still wasn't back and there were mixed reactions among the family.

"I cant believe that pansy chickened out," Xigbar said. They were all thinking that but nobody dared say it. Neither Riku nor Roxas contradicted the statement though. While the visitors partied around them, most of the circies were sitting at the bar on either side.

"He wasn't the first to do this though," Kairi reminded them, "We all got the willies our first show."

"But we all pulled ourselves together and went on," Axel huffed, glancing down the bar at Riku with his head against the bar and holding the cell phone against his ear as he called Sora's phone for the 87th time that evening. Demyx came skipping over and banged his hand on the table to get their attention, "Come on guys! It's a party! So he backed out, it's just one show! No sense sitting here waiting when he'll be back when he feels like it!" Demyx's enthusiasm was enough to convince most of them to go join in the fun, though Riku and Kairi stayed at the bar.

"Come on Riku, let's dance," Kairi said, trying to cheer him up. Kadaj was in bed and Marluxia was on baby sitting duty tonight. He spent the rest of the party with her, trying to keep his mind off his absent lover, but as the crowd started to clear out and the circies headed for bed he began to worry again, "I should go look for him…"

"No, you should go to bed and not worry. It's just his nerves Riku and he'll be back when he's ready," Kairi assured him, "Come on, off to bed with you."

"Yes mother," he said dryly on his way to bed. The room felt oddly empty without the brat, but he brushed it off, quite sure Sora would walk in and sneak attack him as soon as he fell asleep. On his way to bed though he noticed a paper folded on top of the sheet.

_Sorry I mised the show. Ill explain everything tomorow._

_-Sora_

He finished reading the note but scowled, "What kind of BS is this?" He knew Sora couldn't have written this, there were too many errors around the circumstances. For one, Sora hadn't missed the show, just the act. Also he wouldn't have come back to the room to leave the letter, especially when it would be faster to come tell him in person or relay it to one of the circies. The signature was wrong and the spelling errors were ones Sora would never allow himself to make even if he was in a hurry.

With that in mind he stuck the letter in his pocket and hurried back out of the room. Something was wrong, and he knew he had to find Sora.

* * *

So. Axel and Riku used to be bed buddies, Demyx got drunk and slept with Xigbar, and Sora's absent…what now? Well I know! You'll just have to keep reading!...Please!

And now I'm supposed to write something here too…supposed is such a flexible word though. Haha, I'll sum things up with a serious "I LOVE YOU ALL" and "THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR READING" because both those statements are more true than the color of my hair and that's difficult to do since I'm a dye-o-phobic and refuse to dye…random information…tired …Please review. I need picker-uppers in the worst way right now and when I wake up around 3 in the afternoon (or 5:45A.M. if it's a school day) tomorrow it would be amazing to hear what you guys thought.

Again, please forgive me for not updating in so long, I promise it won't happen again! You guys are amazing and I feel horrible for the wait. And I always have and always will wish you all the best in all the world!!!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	25. Stay With Me

Hello Saturday! Woo! Okay so prom was last night and it was so much fun, lousy theme but so much fun. I'm thinking of next year joining prom committee and imposing the theme of 'circus' XD that would be awesome. Just got home around 7 this morning and after a power nap I'm ready to update! This chapter has actually been done for a few days now but I figured I'd wait a week from the last update just to give people a chance to read that chapter.

O.O …over 500 reviews?! Never expected something like this to happen! You guys are amazing!!!! And I am a bad person because I still haven't finished the thank you piccy for the 400 reviews T.T I am slow…Ah well, I will have it done and up at DA by Monday!

So I admit this chapter is pretty short, but it's basically all one event and it seemed right to cut it off where I did. The month is almost up though so the circie adventures will have to be ending soon I suppose. I could continue them after they leave Twilight Town, but I don't like the idea of making this a never ending story…though I've decided occasionally I'll update after the ending with a little side chapter not sure what or how or when but there are a few ideas that keep popping into my head I'd like to write but have no tie into what's going on now. Also there's the matter of the new AkuRoku I'm writing 'A Pirate's Life For Us.' It's very difficult to write two stories at once so once this one ends I'll have more time to work on the pirate story...Which you all should go read if you havent already!

Enough of my rambling! Let's find out what happened to Sora!

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**Stay With Me**

The college was obviously the first stop, and apparently Riku wasn't the only person to catch onto bad tidings. The entrance to the campus was gated off by police caution tape and there were two ambulances out front as well as several police cars around the entrance and across the campus. A small crowd had formed around the barrier as everyone tried to see inside.

"Wonder what's up."

Riku hadn't expected to hear Kairi's voice and he quickly turned back only to see her with a grin, "Didn't I tell you to go to bed?" He didn't answer and Kairi nodded, "Just wondered where you were off to at this time of the night."

"Something's wrong," was all he said and Kairi understood. "Well since I'm here, may as well lend a hand."

"Don't you have a son to go look after?" Riku reminded her.

She shook her head though, "Nope! I told you, Marluxia's on baby sitting duty tonight. I'm free."

Her maternal caring made him laugh a bit and they quickly pushed through the crowd and made it to the barrier. "Hey, what's going on?" Riku asked one of the officers standing watch over the entrance.

"Some senior punks took their senior prank too far," he said vaguely before turning his attention to the headset he was wearing, "Right…Yes sir," and with that said the officers shooed the people away as officers came out of the school with a few people restrained.

Riku and Kairi couldn't get a good look with the officers trying to fend them off, but everyone got to see their faces when the officers restraining them crossed the barrier and headed for the police cars.

"Too late circus freaks!" cackled a familiar voice and before Kairi could try and stop him, Riku left her side and grabbed the boy by his shirt collar, jerking Seifer away from the officer, "What the hell did you do with him?" The officer began to recite some drawn out judicial line, demanding his release, but Riku wasn't listening and Seifer just laughed.

"Riku let him go," Kairi said quickly, grabbing his shoulders, "You can't do anything if you get arrested too."

She had a point and Riku reluctantly let go and the officer immediately took custody of him again. Seifer laughed again but what he hadn't expected was for Riku to sock him right in the face. Seifer yelped in pain and the officer just about said something in protest but stopped when Kairi flashed him a large monetary green bill which he accepted and stuffed into his pocket before hauling Seifer back to the car.

"Feel better?" Kairi asked as Riku rubbed his fist, sore from the force he'd put behind the blow. "Not until I know he's okay," Riku said, and Kairi smiled a little. She was a bit surprised Riku cared so much but thought it was sweet.

Suddenly though there was a rise of murmurs and whispers and they looked back to see what the buzz was. More people were exiting the college, but this time there were two paramedics carrying two bodies, while a third lie on a stretcher carried by two more paramedics. Both circies recognized one of them and didn't hesitate to jump the police barrier and bolt across the campus.

"Sora!"

The limp body's head rolled over to see two familiar persons running toward him just as the paramedic carrying him put him into the back of one of the ambulances while the other carried person and the one on the stretcher were loaded into others.

"Riku…" he mumbled, obviously out of his senses. The paramedic sensed a connection between him and the circies so he allowed them to stay while he readied what was needed to tend to Sora. He was a mess. His costume jacket had been taken off and tied around his next while red and black paint covered his chest and parts of his face. His wrists were raw and bleeding. A visible bruise on his upper right arm was definitely caused by a needle and it was obvious by his dazed gaze and blurred mind that he'd been drugged. His hair was matted and his eyes were bloodshot, clear markings of tear stains on his cheeks, "…I'm sorry." Whether he was talking about missing the show or making him worry, Riku didn't care. He was okay now and that was all that mattered. He leaned down and put his hands on his cheeks, burying his face in his hair with a relieved smile.

"Dr. Haley, when you're done one of the offenders needs attention. His jaw seems to be shattered," interrupted one of the officers as he approached the ambulance. Riku and Kairi laughed and Sora soon realized what happened and laughed along. The doctor injected a dose of pain killer that would also help to counteract the drug already in Sora's veins then took his leave for a moment.

"How's your hand?" Sora asked with a small grin, looking up at Riku whose face was still in his hair.

Riku simply said, "Hurts like hell."

"Don't you worry about him, just think about getting better okay?" Kairi told him, sitting down on the side of the stretcher beside him. Sora nodded a little, not noticing the look Riku and Kairi exchanged. There was no telling what happened, but something about him seemed much less…Sora.

* * *

Axel looked over at his sleeping lover, contemplating something that he'd been planning for quite some time now and whether or not he was in good enough condition to go through with it like he wanted. "Roxy," he said, lifting his chin up to kiss his forehead, "Wake up Roxy," he said, carefully prying him from his sleep. 

Roxas mumbled distorted protests and tried to hide his face back in Axel's chest, but he continued to kiss him until Roxas groggily woke up and as he did he asked, "Axel?" A short glance at the clock on the wall, reading the 1 o'clock hour displayed on the face. After tonight's show and after party he was very tired, "What is it?"

Axel got out of bed and tried to lead Roxas with him, "I want to show you something," he said vaguely. Roxas huffed a protest but Axel leaned back over him and kissed him, "Come on, please." Roxas gave in with a sigh and got out of bed, pulling on a shirt and holding it shut to cut the chill of the summer night. Axel took one of his hands and led him out of the room, ignoring the tired yawns of his sleepy lover. Roxas followed him for who knew how long, his feet carrying him lifelessly and he slumped against Axel when he finally stopped.

Axel smiled and hugged him as Roxas hung limply on him, "Do you know what this morning is?"

"…Thursday?" Roxas answered, absolutely clueless.

Axel laughed a little, "Stand right here," he said and Roxas stayed when he let go and walked away. Roxas realized too late that he was gone and he woke up a bit and looked around, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He was just about in town and he realized they'd walked quite a distance from the Big Top. Suddenly he heard something and turned around only to see Axel running towards him, "Axel?" he was confused as to why he was in such a rush, especially when he could clearly see him. He was surprised when Axel finally reached him and pulled him into a tight embrace, holding Roxas firmly against his body, "Axel what's wrong?" Roxas asked, looking up at him with minor concern. He could feel the rapid beat of Axel's heart pounding against his chest and feel it echoing against his own, something strange even for him.

"I think…I think I love you," he blurted out.

Roxas looked at him oddly for a few seconds, wondering what he was doing. Axel kept repeating what he'd said though, "I love you…Roxy I think I love you!" he tilted his chin down and buried his face in Roxas' blond hair.

That's when Roxas realized what he was doing and he smiled, "Think?"

Axel laughed into his hair, drawing back a bit and saying, "I'm not that great with rejection so I figure if I just 'think' it and you don't return it I wont be too terribly crushed."

Roxas laughed and tilted his head curiously, "What's this about? Just feel like having a bit of de-ja-vu?"

"With all the transitions of different world times, 3 minutes ago officially marked our 1 year anniversary!" Axel boasted.

Roxas was astonished and flattered, never had he expected Axel to keep track of something like that when he couldn't keep track of a pair of socks for more than 2 hours even when they were on his feet, "You're late."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, hugging him tighter though with a very happy smile. He cringed though and loosened his hold when his stomach had too much against it. Roxas kissed his hand though and patted the bandages over the shot. "I'm cured!" Axel cheered and Roxas laughed more, "You're loud."

"You thought I'd forget didn't you?" Axel asked, taunting him with a grin.

Roxas nodded, "You are you after all."

Axel stuck his tongue out at him and crossed his arms, "Well if you're going to be that way then I may as well take your present back."

Roxas immediately looked more attentive, "Present? What present?"

"Pick a hand," Axel instructed, holding both of his hands behind his back. Roxas picked the right hand first but when he revealed it and there was nothing he chose the left, which also revealed nothing. Axel clapped his hands together though and there was a momentary flash of flame which Axel blew out. The trail of smoke didn't trail up though, it rolled around and made a small circle before flashing into a flame and Axel took it with his left hand. He held out his hands in front of him, both shut and instructed, "Pick again."

Roxas had seen the fire go into the left hand so he picked that one. When he opened it and saw nothing though Axel opened his right hand and revealed a polished red band of gem, "La pierre de feu. Fire stone, this way you'll always have a bit of me with you," he explained when he saw the look of amaze and wonder in Roxas' eyes. He got down on one knee and held up the ring, "Might not be for a wedding but you still deserve a proposal," he said with a smile, "What say Roxy? Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"

Roxas was awed to the point of tears but he couldn't help but smile, "Ofcourse!" he said with a slight laugh and Axel took his left hand and slid the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly and Roxas could feel a warmth coming from it, but when Axel kissed his hand he frowned a little, "…But I didn't get you anything…" he said ashamedly. He honestly hadn't the slightest idea about this night's significance before Axel reminded him so he hadn't even thought of getting a gift.

Axel smiled though and stood up, kissing his forehead before saying, "I've got you Roxy. That's the best gift I could ever ask for."

* * *

"He's fine now," the doctor said as he came out of the back of the ambulance. Riku and Kairi were sitting on the college steps nearby, Kairi asleep with her head in his lap and it was clear he'd been starting to drift off as well. He was glad to hear that but had to know, "So what happened in there?" he asked, gesturing to the doors behind him that led into the building. 

The doctor shook his head before saying, "The details are sketchy for me. The police aren't too keen on sharing information, but from what I've heard the kids they dragged out in the cars with them were seniors who got drunk and decided to trick some of the freshman into coming here. From the damage to your friend it looks like it was a drugging and the bruises and marks show signs of rape."

That definitely wasn't something Riku had expected to hear, and he wished he'd broken more than just Seifer's jaw. "It's impossible to be sure and if the narcotics were as strong as I suspect the details will be just as sketchy for him," the doctor finished, "He'll be fine though. Come on, get in, I'll give you guys a lift home."

Riku was still trying to get over what he'd just been told, but he nodded to accept the offer, not really thinking as he carried Kairi into the back of the ambulance and sat her down on the seats. Sora was sleeping off the drug and while Riku wanted to wake him up and make sure he was okay, he knew he had to rest. The drive back to the train was an uneventful one and Kairi had woken up on the way and dragged herself to bed while Riku carried Sora inside and put him in bed. Sora was so out of it he didn't even stir when he changed him out of his circus costume and into more comfortable sleep attire. The doctor had gotten the paint off of him and the bruises were visible while the cuts and his wrists were bandaged up.

"…Brat," Riku mumbled before changing and getting in bed beside him. He couldn't believe all this had happened while he and the other circies played and enjoyed their evening. "I could have protected you…" he said, even though he knew Sora couldn't hear him, "…It won't happen again. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again," he promised, putting his head against Sora's and wishing he'd wake up and show him a smile, "You may not know it yet, but I'm falling in love with you…and I'm going to make sure you smile again soon."

* * *

Riku's such a sweet boyfriend…sorry, daydreaming there. Well? How'd you like it? Short yes, I know, scold me, but I liked it. I threw in a sweet moment between Axel and Roxas because there haven't been enough of those lately. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to bed. The power nap I took when I got home wasn't enough and I probably wont be up again until tomorrow afternoon, but if I wake up to reviews I will be so happy you will hear me squee from miles away. 

Next update will be….um…can't say for sure. I've got some work to catch up on in school because I was sick for a few days this week and mumsie is in a foul mood so that combination equals uncertainty. Might not be up next Saturday but I'll try really hard! Thank you guys so much for reading and bearing with my schedule. It's been a long road for the circies and you're all awesome for hanging in there through it all! I truly wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	26. Behind the Façade

Wow…I can't explain why but this chapter took a lot out of me. It's a melting pot of so many emotions it literally blew my mind writing it and you'll probably hate me for the way it ends, but I love the way it ends. There will be more, let me just say that now, maybe like 5 more chapters (I'm guessing) of the actual story. Like I've said before though there will be short stories of circie goodness posted after the 'end.'

Lack of updating lately I know, I'm working on it. Like I said, this chapter was draining and took a lot out of me, and with so much school work to make up there's not a lot of time I have to sit down and drain. I think the wait was worth it though. I'm happy with this chapter. The last day of school though is this coming Tuesday so after that I'll hopefully have a less busy schedule and I'll be able to write more. It depends on my dance schedule. There's a jazz teacher I've been subbing for a lot lately and it doesn't look like he's coming back and the studio offered me the position. Need a summer job and start saving for college so that might take up a good portion of my week.

Enough of my issues! Read this and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy reading it.

**SIDENOTE!!!** The song in this chapter is entitled 'Façade' and it's from the musical Jekyll & Hyde. It's a pretty good show but has some of the most amazing vocals you'll ever hear and if you haven't seen it then I at least recommend listening to this song. The version in this chapter has been shortened and there's a slight lyrical alteration but it's still an awesome song.

* * *

**Chapter 25**

**Behind the Façade**

Sora dazedly opened his eyes, not really entirely awake with his senses but he could faintly smell peppermint and it made him feel better. He smiled and sat up, supporting himself on his elbows and looking around. The room was still dark but he recognized the sleeping lump under the covers beside him, "Wake up. I can't sleep," he said, reaching over and shaking him a bit. He didn't move though so Sora flopped over onto his back, "Wake up!" Suddenly though he sat up and grabbed Sora, flipping him over and pushing him down into the bed. Sora started to laugh but when he looked up and didn't see Riku he panicked and shrieked at the sight of Seifer.

Sora sat up quickly, frantically looking around the room while pulling the blankets tight around him. Feeling the pull on the blanket off of him, Riku grabbed the edge and pulled it back around him, rolling over away from him. Without thinking Sora let out another shriek and fell off the bed.

Awake now Riku sighed in annoyance and shot a glance at the alarm clock, the lit numbers reading little after 3 and he rolled over and hung his head off the side of the bed, looking down at Sora who was short of breath and appearing rather rattled. Sora didn't seem to notice him right away, too bothered by his sore body to take notice of anything. He just sat there, hugging the sides of his arms and trying to calm down.

It didn't take a therapist to realize what had happened and Riku waited for him to catch his breath before putting his hand under his chin and tilting his face up to his. Sora took a few seconds to realize everything was okay, and he took Riku's hand and held it to his cheek, exhaling shakily. Riku didn't know what to do to help him, and he got out of bed and sat down on the floor beside him, pulling the blanket off the bed and wrapping it around Sora.

Apparently Riku wouldn't have to figure out what to do, because Sora knew what he needed, and he lunged out and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling Riku's lips to his. After getting over the initial shock Riku returned the kiss and Sora immediately deepened it. It wasn't until Sora started to unbutton his shirt that Riku realized this wasn't right and he took hold of his wrists and drew back to stop him. Sora was still short of breath but he didn't care and he looked at Riku desperately, practically begging for what he needed, "Riku please…"

Riku shook his head though and stood up, letting go of his wrists, "No," he insisted. Sora had been raped, this wasn't right and he knew it. Sora knew this as well but he didn't care, he needed this and he immediately wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in Riku's abdomen. "Please!" He couldn't believe this. How in hell could Sora ask this of him after what happened? "Get off," he ordered and Sora sniffled a little before letting go and sitting back down obediently. He looked like a kicked puppy and just stared at the floor as Riku left the room, shutting the door behind him and going outside to get away from the situation. It definitely didn't fix things, but it was the only solution he could come up with and he wished he'd grabbed a cigarette before leaving.

He just sat in the doorway leading off the train for several minutes, trying to figure out what to do. "How do they make it look so easy?" Riku asked out loud, referring to Axel and Roxas. They were right, commitment wasn't something he was good at and for a while he'd thought he could do it but now things just seemed irreconcilable. This wasn't something he'd counted on happening, and he didn't know how to fix something like this.

He didn't want to lose Sora though, and he'd do whatever it took to keep him. Unfortunately, by the time he'd realized this and went back inside his door was locked. So he took a detour instead, going down one room and opening Demyx's door. There were two people in bed, and Riku recognized both of them, wondering just how much Demyx had drunk tonight and how Xigbar would react to waking up in here tomorrow. They were both asleep though so Riku had no obstacles in opening the window and climbing out onto the sill. The train windows were just a bit too high to reach from the ground and so this was the only way, so he followed the sills down to his first open window and climbed through.

What he saw though was something he hadn't expected. There was Sora, sitting right where he'd left him, still looking distressed but his shorts were down around his ankles and one hand clenching the blanket on the floor while the other was wrapped around his cock, running up and down to build friction. His eyes were shut tight and he didn't notice Riku come in, "Uuuhh Riku," he moaned, breath quickening. He suddenly felt someone grab the sides of his face and pull him forward, immediately though he recognized the kiss and threw his arms around Riku's shoulders. "I'm sorry," Riku mumbled against his lips and Sora shook his head, not caring. He couldn't blame him for his uncertainty, especially when he himself felt guilty for his need. Riku pushed him back against the side of the bed, drawing back from the kiss and examining his lover's face. Sora was out of breath but he looked up at Riku longingly, his face flushed and there were tear stains on his cheeks.

It was obvious Riku still didn't think this was right. Sora had been raped less than 24 hours ago and to do now just didn't feel right, almost as if it was taking advantage of him. Sora smiled at him though, understanding his uncertainty and assuring him with a kiss, "I want you to help me to forget… After all, you did say once that you'd help me be me," and with that said everything was right again.

* * *

"I hate this," Larxene huffed later that morning, "There must be something in the air."

"What? Allergies?" Luxord asked, finding her complaining this morning different from other times.

Larxene shook her head, "No! Look at them!" she said, gesturing out the window. Luxord picked up his drink and came over to see what she was in such a tizzy over. There were Axel and Roxas, heading for the Bit Top hand in hand and talking happily, "And there!" Larxene said and Luxord looked to where she pointed next, spotting Riku sitting on the couch across the room, supposedly thinking up the song for closing night's performance but that didn't seem to be happening since Sora was sitting in his lap, looking through the notebook of songs none of the circies had ever been allowed to see while sweet words were whispered in his ear discreetly, making Sora laugh and smile.

"Why the hell is everyone on this train in love?!" Larxene shouted, her tone alarming enough to make all three boys in the room jump and Luxord dropped his drink.

Riku and Sora exchanged a look then laughed and Riku told her, "We're not in love."

Larxene glared daggers at Riku and pointed toward the door, "You have 10 seconds to get off that couch and start working on that song before I destroy all chances of you having sex again." That was enough for him, because he knew she'd find a way to follow through with that threat, and Riku quickly kissed Sora's cheek and hurried out of the common car, "Send Demyx over to the Big Top!" he called back and Larxene hissed. She stomped out of the room and up the hall, and when sure she was out of earshot Luxord informed Sora, "PMS." Those three letters explained her mood and Sora quickly hurried after Riku to avoid her wrath.

Cursing and snarling under her breath, Larxene reached Demyx's door and opened it, looking over to the bed and opening her mouth to shout a wake up call. However, when she saw both Demyx and Xigbar in bed, she could do nothing but scream. Her scream woke Demyx and Xigbar up and they both sat up, screaming when they saw her, and shortly there after they realized who they were in bed with and they both screamed again, then all three of them screamed at the realization of what happened last night.

While all the happiness, love, and screaming was going on the circies found themselves completely oblivious to the trouble waiting for them at that night's show.

* * *

"Axel! Stop!" Roxas giggled as he and Axel rolled across the floor half dress in a tickle war. The redhead was feeling almost fully recovered from the shot he'd taken and ofcourse the numerous painkillers he'd taken were taking off the edge left over. This had been going on since Roxas had shown up in their room 10 minutes ago to get his hat for tonight and found Axel in a very playful mood. "W-we're going to be-hehe late!" Roxas tried to wriggle his way out of the tumble, but it was useless.

"Late shmate! House doesn't open for another half hour," Axel said as they rolled again, but this time they hit the dresser and the impact sent a mess of pictures and candy wrappers falling down upon them. Roxas hugged Axel, whom had ceased his tickle attack when they hit, "Now look what you've done," Roxas taunted, picking up one of the pictures on the floor and looking at it over Axel's shoulder.

"One of these days I'll find a place for all of them," Axel said. There was no doubt that the collection of memories was enormous and he'd been hanging onto them all even though he hadn't taken any of them. They were just taken by luck when one of the circies had a camera and a roll of film, always seeming to be at the perfect time, and somehow the ones that weren't on the ceiling in the common war always ended up in Axel's room.

"And one of these days your hair will turn gray," Roxas said, convinced the red color would never fade though, "Come on, let's head over to the Big Top. We've only got a few days left so I'm guessing we'll have a packed house again."

"Right right," Axel said, sitting back and pulling Roxas up with him, "Got the choreography for the opening down?"

Roxas nodded proudly, "Yup! Riku and I practiced again this morning!" This new number was intense and easily a new favorite among the circies. Riku had written the lyrics as always, and Demyx figured the melody and wrote out all the sheet music, while they worked together on the choreography and later taught it to the others, whom could then add their own personal flare to the movements and vocals. All this usually happened over the course of 2 days only and they were ready to perform that night. Roxas and Sora had a little trouble learning so quickly but the circies made time to practice extra with them to make sure they were comfortable with it all.

"Good!" Axel was glad to hear he was catching onto the swing of circus life and hugged him tightly, "I don't know about you, but I have a good feeling about tonight!"

Roxas laughed and rolled his eyes, "About the show or what happens after the show?"

"Both!" Axel boasted.

* * *

Visitors to the circus had come to accept the fact that when the lights went down and came back up to reveal the opening number, nothing was too grand. In those few short moments the circies could turn a blank floor into a magical vision unlike anything they'd seen before. Tonight when the house and floor lights faded to signal the start of the show the crowd fell silent immediately, waiting on the edge of their seats for the music to start and pull them away from their ordinary lives, if only for a few hours. The lights came up with the music, a bowed instrument playing rapidly and low staccato. Only two people were on the floor at the moment, and while the returning circus visitors recognized the circies by their costumes their faces were semi-hidden by very different but elaborate masks that covered their eyes and they were frozen in what appeared to be the middle of a fight, rapiers crossed between them in duel stance.

The bow continued to play staccato, but when a sharp organ joined in with an edge, they unfroze and the fight began, choreographed and practiced to well that it seemed real. Suddenly they stopped though and turned on the audience, the first of the two singing:

"_There's a face that we wear in the cold light of day!"_ Returning circus fans recognized the Ringmaster's voice, and the other boy sang right after him:

"_It's societies mask it's societies way."_

Then they turned back and returned the attack on eachother both harmonizing with:

"_And the truth is:_

_That it's all a façade."_

Then they took the audience by alarm when they lunged and stabbed the other, but to their surprise the swords vanished as they pierced into the chests, a clever illusion from Marluxia high above the circus floor.

"_There's a face that we hide till the nighttime appears,"_ The visitors recognized the second singer, it was the blonde who was from their world, the ambassadors son.

Riku picked up right after him with, _"And what's hiding inside, behind all of our fears," _Roxas joined in on the final part, as they dropped the duel stance and turned back on the audience again, _"Is our true self, locked inside the façade."_

Then came something the audience hadn't been expecting: around the Big Top, a few people began to stand up and they threw off their coverings, revealing circies whom had been sitting among them, all wearing different elaborate masks that covered their eyes only. They all drew in the audience members sitting close to them, singing sharply:

"_Look around you I have found_

_You can not tell by looking at the surface_

_What is lurking there beneath it!"_

The circies hurried down the isles to the floor, while one of the females sang, fans recognizing her as the beast master of the group,

"_See that face_

_Now I'm prepared to bet you _

_what you sees not what you get_

_Cause mans a master of deceit!_

_So what is this sinister secret?_

_A lie he will tell you is true," _she extended a hand to Riku who took it and helped her over the barrier between the floor and the audience, singing the answer, _"It's that each man you meet on the street isn't one man but two."_

The other circies swarmed over the floor, movements sharp and emphasizing every word they sang,

"_Clearly everyone you see_

_Like him and her and you and me_

_Pretends to be a pillar of society._

_A model of propriety_

_Sobriety and piety_

_Who shudders at the thought of notoriety."_

The circies tumbled and flipped, showing off jagged movements as Riku addressed the audience, heading for the center of the floor,

"_Ladies and gents here before you_

_It's not about glamour and glitz._

_We don't have saintly looks_

_But we're no sinners or crooks!_

_Hypocrites_

_Hypocrites!"_

Kairi posed a question, heading for the center of the floor to join him while the other circies performed around them

"_If we're not one but two_

_Are we evil or good?"_

Roxas joined in the questioning, hurrying in to join the other two,

"_Do we walk the fine line_

_That we'd cross if we could?"_

Riku answered with them both,

"_No sense in waiting_

_To break through the façade!"_

Another circie hurried in to join the group, Demyx declaring: _"It's a nightmare!"_

Axel and Luxord followed in with, _"We can never discard!"_

Larxene's voice rang sharply as she followed them in, sharp contrast as Xigbar sang with her, _"So we stay on our guard!"_

Everyone turned out to the audience as the song came to a close, joining in singing,

"_Though we love the façade_

_What's behind the façade?"_

The music silenced as well as the other circies and they all took off their masks as Riku finished the song by simply saying, "_Look behind the façade."_

Roxas loved the feeling that followed performances. For the entirety of them nobody paid mind to the audience, knowing only that they were there to entertain, and after it was over they finally got to feel how much delight they'd brought to the watchers. It was amazing and he glanced over at his brother, whom was enjoying this experience for the first time. They took their bows but suddenly there was a shrill whistle ringing over the audience's cheers and applause, and this wasn't part of the opening.

The circies looked to see what the interruption was and were alarmed to see several police officers pouring through the entrance to the Big Top. The cheers and applause turned to murmurs of confusion as they saw the police, which turned to shouts of protest when they saw them circle around the circies and an officer over a megaphone informed the audience, "Tonight's performance is over, we ask that you orderly leave through the main exit," his instructions could barely be heard over the shouts of the audience. They were furious by what was going on, what reason did they have to do this?

That was just the question the circies wished they knew the answer to. An officer, clearly higher ranking than the others informed them, "By order of the Twilight Town court of law, you are all hereby under arrest."

"What the hell for?" Larxene demanded, voicing what they all were thinking.

"For destroying the world's church and damaging surrounding property," as soon as he said that Sora spoke up, "According to article 6 of the 18th amendment any federal conviction made pertaining to the church must first be made known publicly for a period of 3 days minimum! And without proper justification-" he didn't get to finish though, the officer silencing him when he drew out his gun and pointed it at him. To the all the officers' surprise though Riku pushed him back and stood in front of him, glaring the officer down as if daring him to shoot. Then only a second later Axel pushed him back and did the same, then Roxas, then Luxord, then Xigbar, then Demyx, then Larxene, then Kairi until the circies had made a line.

Sora stood at the back of the line watching it all and at a loss for words. He hadn't expected any protection in a situation like this, not even from Riku, yet all the circies were more than ready to take a bullet for any one of them, even Sora. He was new to their circus but right then he understood why they called themselves a family, and he felt like he belonged to this family. And somehow, despite the grim situation at hand, he couldn't help but smile a little.

* * *

So…what happened? It will be explained in the next chapter, and honestly I'm still tweaking the full story. But I really liked the ending of this chapter. Seriously a moment I take pride in writing. Tell me what you thought though please. This chapter felt slightly different when I was writing it and I'm hoping it goes over well with you guys. Please review and tell me what you thought. I promise to update again as soon as I get the story fully written in my head and on paper. Thank you guys for reading and continuing to read! 25 chapters and the circus is still going strong! I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	27. Time To Go

This is it everyone. This is the last chapter of the circie story. I wasn't planning on ending it here but the words just came out and wrapped themselves up so perfectly that I couldn't bring myself to change it. Honestly you have no idea how hard it was for me to end this story. It's been a work in progress for just about 9 months now and I've put time, effort, passion, and soul into it all. As cheesy as it sounds it's true and that made it even harder for me to end things.

I am not going to change this story's status to 'complete' though and I never will. No I'm not being vain or clingy (even though it is taking everything in my power not to be) I'm not changing the status because this story will never end. The life of the circies will go on and my imagination will continue to fathom their doings, and I will write out side stories of theirs from time to time. They may have occurred before or after this story, and could be anything that pops into my head, so who knows who the stories will focus on? Not me!

This is it everyone! The last chapter is just below this line! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**Time To Go**

"You know, it's been 16 years since I've been in prison," Xigbar said idly. He was taking their jail cell residence the easiest.

Luxord was in a similar position and nodded, "I remember that night. You me and Jak were cow tipping and one of the cows ended up crushing the sleeping barn boy we didn't see." They both laughed and while the others shared a few laughs with them it was obvious they were taking this rough.

A silence soon fell over the cell, a familiar sound they'd gotten used to over the past 7 hours. In that time officers had come in to pull out one of the circies every now and then to interrogate them individually. In those hours only Larxene, Axel, and Xigbar had been interviewed and it looked like it was going to be a long stay.

"Think smart kid, isn't this violating our rights or something?" Larxene asked, sprawled out on the cool floor and looking like a mad cat.

Sora assumed she was addressing him and he nodded, "Quite a few actually but…the problem is you guys aren't actually registered citizens in this world."

"But we signed entry papers; doesn't that entitle us to some kind of amnesty?" Axel was mad about the whole situation and it was clear he wasn't meant to be behind bars. The jail cell was about the size of one of the bedrooms on the train but with all the circies in it, the space felt smaller than manageable.

"No, it just lets you do what you applied for, in your case: reside for a month and perform. There's absolutely no protection clause," Sora said. Technically he, Roxas, and Kairi all had full rights and shouldn't even be sitting here, but the officers didn't know that.

There was another lengthy silence and it was driving them insane. They were all tired but couldn't bring themselves to sleep, unsure of what kind of situation to expect when they woke up again. Roxas was easily the most shaken by this whole incident, and it was more than obvious. He was sitting in the corner with his legs hugged to his chest and his chin on his knees. Axel hadn't left his side once the entire time, saying nothing though because he knew that was the best way to help him right now.

"…It's so quiet," he said under his breath.

Axel nodded, and through the silence everyone had heard him, "We're not designed for this kind of stuff Roxy. Circies don't do well inside walls."

Roxas said nothing but they all looked up when they heard a door down the hall open and Sora looked down the hall, from his angle spotting two officers coming down the hall with Riku in custody. An officer unlocked the door while the other unlocked the handcuffs binding his wrists before pushing him into the cell with the others. The first officer looked over the circies and pointed to Demyx, "You, come with us."

Demyx was scared and swallowed the lump in his throat, looking back when he felt Xigbar squeeze his shoulder to reassure him he'd be fine. Demyx nodded and stood up, heading for the door where his wrists were immediately bound by handcuffs and he was led away while the other guard shut and locked the door.

"Hat."

The officer looked back at Riku when he heard him and saw his hand extended through the bars. The officer realized he was still holding the hat they'd confiscated for searching before he went into the interrogation room. He handed it too him and laughed before leaving, and Riku realized shortly there after why he was laughing. While his had may fit through the bars, his hat would not.

"Well?" Sora asked, posing the question they all wanted to ask. His interrogation had taken the longest so far, exceeding the others by almost 2 hours.

Riku sat down, still holding his hat through the bars with one hand, "These guys don't know what they're doing," that was more than obvious, "Apparently an hour before the show started somebody set fire to the church in town, and forensics can't find evidence to nail a suspect to the wall yet."

"And so they blame us?" Larxene scowled, rolling over to see him.

"Yup," Riku nodded, "We're, and I quote, 'A lousy bunch of prostitutes who've been threatened by the church since last years visit,' and thus this was our motive to take action against the church."

Luxord shook his head, "That's such crap. We were all too busy getting ready for the show to evil think up something like that, let alone go out and do it in time to make it back for the opening."

"I told them that and I got clubbed over the head," Riku said with a sigh, "You figure for such a 'sinless' world, this place wouldn't have abusive police officers."

"Maybe they just didn't like you, the rest of us have come out fine so far," Axel pointed out with a bit of a grin. He knew Riku had said something to make them mad, it was just the way he was, and if a blow to the head resulted then it was his fault.

Only minutes later though they heard a scream, and an all too familiar one that made them all get to their feet and hurry over to the bars, shouting down the hall, "Demyx!"

It was madness that they were confined in this space and unable to go help him, and there was no way of knowing what was going on. "God damn it!" Xigbar swore, jerking on the bars but there was no give in the metal, "This isn't right! We didn't do anything!"

"We know that but they don't," Axel hissed, however Roxas looked pale again and he quickly led him back to sit down.

"Don't make so much noise," Sora insisted quickly, "You're in their custody and in this situation they'd be more than willing and able to send a few thousand volts through you and believe me they have the right and power to do so."

"Don't make so much noise? How the hell can you say that?" Xigbar snarled, turning on and stepping toward Sora "You're not even a part of this group so shut up and don't tell us how to behave!"

Sora kept his mouth shut and looked down quickly, however, tensions were running high and Riku stepped between them, "Go sit down Xigbar, there's nothing we can do so no sense pitching a fit."

There was a lengthy glare between the two of them and while Riku had superiority over him it was obvious Xigbar had more to say. "Stop arguing," Kairi quickly intervened before a fight broke out, "We all just need to calm down! We didn't do the crime so we shouldn't worry! We just need to sit down and wait this mess out!" She was right, they all knew it, and after a few moments Xigbar gave up and returned to the bench to sit and wait. There was a silence again that suffocated them and it was hard to keep a clear head without going crazy.

"Riku?" Sora asked quietly, scooting over next to him. He was still sitting at the bars with a hand through them holding onto his hat and his head resting against them. His eyes were shut and Sora wondered if he was sleeping but when he nudged him, Riku opened one eye and looked over at him, and Sora said, "Sing something."

He shook his head though, "Not now Sora."

"Come on, it'll make us all feel better," Sora said, hugging him a bit and putting his head on his shoulder. He needed something to take his mind off what was happening and he was sure the others felt the same.

"…I would, but I can't," he replied, for the first time he was drawing a blank and couldn't think up a single song. Sora understood but it was a hard truth to accept, the circies just couldn't function properly in this situation and that made them more human than most people thought they were.

"Hey guys!" In no time all the circies were back at the bars when they heard Demyx, and he came grinning down the hall under custody by two officers, "Guess what? There's a protest going on outside for us!" This was news indeed, and it made them feel much better after seeing him well and unharmed, "It must be half the town! More even! The people are on _our_ side!!"

"Ofcourse they are! Unlike these thick stiffs, they know we're innocent," Axel cheered, making a point of insulting the officers as they released Demyx back into the cell.

The officers said nothing though, restraining themselves and instead roughly grabbing Sora. He let out a bit of a yelp at the surprise as his wrists were restrained behind his back. It was obvious Riku didn't like the fact that the officer's were taking out their tempers on Sora, but when he moved toward them Axel grabbed his shoulder and gave him a look to remind him of Sora's warning. They were still in custody and aggression could be severely punished. Reluctantly he watched them go and when they were gone Demyx told them about what he'd seen.

"We were on our way to one of those question rooms and I saw it on a T.V.! They've got signs and posters and face paint and everything! It's so cool!" Demyx was practically beaming and the others couldn't help but share his happiness.

Xigbar was curious still though, "So is that why you screamed?" Demyx nodded and they all felt better to know he hadn't been hurt.

"So what does all this mean?" Riku asked. Since Sora wasn't here, the next most well read on politics was Luxord, whom thought it through before answering, "Well it depends on just how out of hand the protest gets. I can guarantee that this will push the police to quicken their search for evidence and piece together a solid case for what really happened."

"Good. Because I don't know about you guys but I'm ready to get out of here," Demyx said in a half whine half sigh. Everyone agreed and Larxene hugged him before leading him down to the floor to try and get some rest. The circies hadn't slept for almost 24 hours now, and while a few had managed to doze off for a few minutes in the cell, most were too nerve racked to even consider sleep despite their need for it.

"Don't worry. In no time we'll be back in our own beds and getting ready for tomorrow's show," Larxene assured them all, "Bet the others will be glad to see us." Zexion, Lexaeus, Vexen, and Marluxia were still back at the circus, probably because the police hadn't thought enough into the case to bring in others who obviously weren't even involved.

"Zexion's probably getting sick of babysitting too," Kairi smiled a bit, knowing they were all taking good care of Kadaj. Poor Zexion though was sick and wasn't even performing during the show last night, so they imagined he was having it the roughest.

Luxord chucked and shook his head, "I'm surprised you don't."

There was a bit more talk going on in the room now that the circies knew there was help on the outside, but it was still very toned down for the next hour. Finally the door opened again and Sora came back looking pleased, and when the circies asked what happened he announced, "You're all free to go!"

As soon as the cell door opened they all threw hugs on him, smothering him with circie love, "Incredible!! How? How did you wing that?"

"I know my rights," Sora grinned, "I declared my right to council and went straight to a judge, whom saw all the flaws I did in this case and agreed that there shouldn't even be the slightest cause for imprisonment." The cheers that followed were almost deafening as each circie unleashed their own form of thanks.

* * *

Demyx was right about the protest outside the prison, over half the town had to be there. To avoid having to face the crowd, the circies had to be escorted back to the train, and as exhausted as they were relieved that they didn't have to walk. They wouldn't have minded saying hello to the public but honestly they were too tired and not in the mood for anything, so as soon as they got to the train they went straight to bed without so much as a word to the others.

"How'd you get so smart?" Riku mumbled tiredly as he finished changing and slumped down into bed next to Sora, whom changed much more quickly since he didn't have as many costume pieces.

Sora grinned, glad his knowledge had actually served as something more than a tool to get A's in school, "I spent my high school years taking advanced government classes rather than performing in a circus."

"How unfortunate," Riku said, hugging Sora when the boy scooted closer to him, "You know, I think I thought of a song."

"Finally," Sora mumbled, "You couldn't have thought it up when we were all miserable could you?"

"Nope," was all Riku said, "Because this one is all for you."

Sora was curious now and he opened his eyes, "Well? Are you going to sing it for me?"

"Nope," was again all Riku said and Sora looked baffled, "You may not like it, and if you don't I'd be upset and not be able to sleep."

Sora was even more curious now though and he scooted closer and nuzzled his face into Riku's chest, "Come on, please. I got us out of jail after all."

"Well it's short, so you'll have to finish it," Riku reasoned and Sora nodded before Riku grinned and sang:

_Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing,_

_Telling me to give you everything?_

_Seasons may change, winter to spring,_

_But I love you until the end of time._

Sora listened to the short song, waking up a bit and indulging in the words meant for him and only him. They were sincere and hung in the air for several minutes before Sora kissed him and did as he'd agreed, he finished it with just as much heartfelt emotion as he'd been given and felt:

_Come what may,_

_I will love you until my dying day…_

And it was as simple and complex as that. A realization that couldn't be expressed or understood before tonight and now it was openly accepted and felt. That was love for you, you never know when or how it sucks you in, but it had hold of both of them and wouldn't let go. Without another word, Sora smiled and leaned in to kiss him and Riku returned it. It was brief but enough and left Riku grinning, "It's a good thing you kiss better than you sing." Sora stuck his tongue out before laughing a little and hugging him tightly, sighing contentedly and easily falling to sleep in his embrace.

* * *

The circies were very rudely awoken only an hour later though when they heard loud talking and banging on the door to the first room car. Axel was the first to respond to the relentless banging and he swore loudly as he climbed over Roxas and out of bed. Roxas tried to follow him, but he was so tired he couldn't pull together enough strength to get up, resulting in him rolling and falling out of bed. When he heard him hit the floor Axel ignored the noise from outside and picked Roxas up and put him back in bed, "Wait here, I'll be back," he assured him and Roxas nodded groggily before easily falling back to sleep as he left.

By the time Axel reached the hall, Riku was stumbling out as well as Demyx and Sora, all looking pissed and exhausted, not a good combination for this bunch. Demyx reached the door first and as soon as he opened it there was a wave of noise and flashes that shocked him to the point where he fell back into Sora and they both fell back and hit the floor.

The din of the dozen reporters and photographers was intolerable and other circies were sticking their heads out of rooms down the hall to see what the fuss was. Neither of the standing circies said anything as the questions rang through their head, and this went on for several minutes before Axel finally said, "Please shut up and go die a fiery death of doom-ness."

Then there was silence, nobody sure how to respond to that, but they all wrote it down anyway on their notepads. Riku used that silence to the fullest though and pointed to a different reporter for each answer, "Yes. This Sunday. No. Never. No. Yes. That's true, but not for all of us. One year from our departure. Here. Seven tomorrow night. No. Yes. It's possible. And no further questions," and with that finished he shut the door before anything else could be said.

Axel didn't question what just happened, or the validity of the answers since he didn't even know what the questions were. The noise was gone though and the circies returned to their sleep instantly. Demyx got off of Sora and crawled back to his room after Axel had moved out of his way, and Sora was too tired to get up so he hugged Riku's ankles until he picked him up and carried him back to bed. On a normal day the circies would have thrived and enjoyed the publicity, but today wasn't normal. In fact, this was definitely going to be a hangover sort of day that they were more than willing to sleep through.

And sleep they did, and the whole time the world around them was busy discussing the latest gossip about the circus. None of them cared though, after Sunday they would be worlds away and far away from the troubles that had plagued them over this month. Though, they'd be lying if they said some good hadn't come from it all.

* * *

By Sunday morning though, the circus had been taken down but the magic it brought lingered over the town. The circies looked over the vacant grounds, wondering when they'd see this world next.

"We'll be back next year right?" Demyx asked.

Riku nodded, sure things had been rough but that didn't change their routine and obligation as a circus, "Ofcourse. Besides, I'm guessing the ambassador is going to require it of us," he said. They laughed but it was probably true since both of his sons were leaving with them now.

"Maybe we'll have less trouble next time," Larxene hoped, kicking over a rock but shrieking at the mob of ants that swarmed out of the hole.

Luxord looked around before noticing something, "By the way. Where are those two?" he asked, referring to Roxas and Sora. The others noticed their absence as well and Axel recalled briefly hearing something, "Sora said he was borrowing Roxy earlier, and then dragged him off but that must have been an hour ago."

"Better not make us late departing," Luxord sighed, but just to have fun he added, "Well…we could always just leave without them."

"Not a chance," the simultaneous response from Axel and Riku made the others laugh; even if it was just to tease them they meant it all in jest.

"Hey guys!"

The circies looked back at the train at the base of the hill, spotting Roxas and Sora with their heads out the window, "Hurry up! We've got a departure time to keep!" With a quick look to his watch, Xigbar realized just how close to noon it was getting, "Brats are right! Get going!"

When they reached the common car though and went inside they realized what Sora and Roxas had been doing in their absence. "Like it?" Roxas asked with a grin. There on the wall was a new collection of pictures as well as a poster from the show this month. Since they'd run out of space on the ceiling almost a year ago, the new show pictures and posters were hung around the walls now and this one was particularly interesting with all the events that had happened this month.

"Love it!" Demyx squealed, hurrying ahead to see first as the others followed behind him.

"I don't know. Some of this stuff I don't want to remember," Kairi said, looking at some of the ones from the after parties.

Luxord nodded in agreeance, "Pictures are only particles of memories, I prefer to keep a mental scrapbook instead."

"Only because you are mental," Larxene taunted and Luxord lunged for her but she evaded and scurried away, Luxord at her heels.

As the two gave chase around the common car Xigbar checked his watch again and headed down the hall to see if Lexaeus needed help getting the engine going, and Demyx followed behind him a few steps with a smile. Kairi heard Kadaj crying from down the hall in hers and Larxene's car, the noise of the chase must have woken him so she headed off to soothe him.

Sora jumped when he heard the engine start, grabbing Riku's hand as a reflex. Riku laughed and squeezed his hand reassuringly before whispering something indistinct in his ear that made Sora smile and turn a bit red. Riku looked around to see if anyone was paying attention before discreetly heading down the hall, leading Sora away with him.

Roxas stood there watching them all settle into their own acts, just like in the Big Top. They were a circus yes, but they acted as a family, each person having their own things to do but always remaining a part of the group. He couldn't help but smile as he looked around at what he was a part of. This was his home. This was where he wanted to be and stay. This was-

"Hey."

Roxas looked up at Axel, pried from his thoughts when he heard him. This was where Axel was. This was who brought him more happiness than he could ever had asked for or expected.

"You want to see something incredible?" Axel asked with a grin and Roxas nodded, following Axel across the room to the window. Halfway there the train started to move and Roxas stumbled, the movement addling his balance but Axel put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. He led him to the window just as they were picking up speed and Roxas sat down on the window ledge to keep from stumbling again. Axel was used to travel on train so he had no difficulty standing, but he kept an eye on Roxas carefully, "Now watch," he instructed, looking out the window.

Roxas looked out, watching the hillside pass by slowly, then faster, and faster. Then something strange happened, the hill faded from focus and the world outside became a bright collage of colors. He just started for several minutes before the colors faded into a solid dark blue and he couldn't help but gasp when he saw Twilight Town, the whole world, beside them, slowly leaving the window's view.

"We're…This is…" Roxas just stared, completely lost of words to describe what was going on. It was amazing and it defied all he'd seen in life.

Axel smiled and kissed his cheek, "Welcome to the circus Roxy."

* * *

….I'm not crying I swear…Twenty-six chapters and one short Christmas story…wow, I never expected this story to be as well received as it was. You guys have put up with my late updates and rantings before each chapter, truly I am grateful and you are all amazing. Feedback has been incredibly helpful and you've all got my eternal love.

This is not the end of my writings by far. Some of you have read my new story 'A Pirate's Life for Us' and that is now going to be my central project since this story is over. I hope you all go take a look at it, as I find it is growing on me with the same love I had for this one had. That along with little side stories for this story will ensure that there will always be more to read.

As always, I wish you all the best in all the world and I wrap up this story with a gigantic thank you to anyone that's ever reviewed, spread the word about this story, or even just taken the time to read. Thank you!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


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